If you've been injured on the job but you work part-time or full-time from your home in Modesto, you may be wondering about your eligibility for worker's compensation benefits. As technology increases and employers find that there are increased benefits for allowing employees to have flexibility to work outside of the office, this issue is becoming more and more prevalent.
So are you covered if you work at home? Usually, yes. According to The California Department of Industrial Relations' Division of Workers' Compensation, if you get sick or hurt because of work, your employer must pay for workers' compensation benefits. As long as an eligible employer covers you, you can typically receive worker's compensation benefits for injuries that occur as a direct result of a workplace accident or over time due to workplace duties.
Outside of the home, you may also be able to receive workers' compensation benefits if you are injured while driving a company vehicle during business hours or if you're hurt while conducting business during a trip for work. If you are self-employed (i.e. freelance or independent contractor), you can pay for your own workers' comp insurance to cover you in case of injury.
The Benefits of Workers' Compensation
In the state of California, workers' comp payments include six basic benefits:
1. Medical Care
2. Temporary Disability Benefits
3. Permanent Disability Benefits
4. Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits - if your injury took place in 2004 or later, these benefits help you pay for the cost of additional training or skill enhancement if you can't return to your old job because of injury
5. Vocational Rehabilitation - for injuries sustained before 2004
6. Death Benefits -payments are made to your spouse, children or other beneficiaries in the event of death from a workplace injury or illness
As the workplace continues to expand to our homes, cars and online, workers' compensation benefits have continued to keep pace in order to fit with current working trends. If you're not getting all the money you're entitled to or if you think you might have a case against a third-party that caused your injury, call a Modesto workers' compensation attorney.
