Getting injured on the job

Many jobs come with inherent risks. Roofers, for example, are always at risk of slipping on a roof and falling from heights. Roofing companies and their employees are expected to take appropriate safety precautions every time they work, but sometimes accidents just happen.

When an employee is injured on the job—say, while working on a roof—that employee is likely eligible for certain benefits and assistance. This is because most companies are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance, a type of insurance that provides financial support to employees who have been injured or become ill as a direct result of doing work-related duties.

Like any type of insurance, there are processes to follow to receive a payout. It is critically important to know how to file an injury compensation claim, for both employees and employers. For employees, the most important thing is to remember to report it right after an injury occurs. Waiting to report an injury could result in not getting any compensation at all. For employers, it is important to create a paper trail and follow the necessary procedures and paperwork required by the insurance company. This usually means knowing how to file an accident report and providing documentation, such as timesheets and employee contact info.

Types of injury compensation claims

Injuries can vary widely in severity and level of impairment. Some employees are able to recover from minor injuries, such as strains, after some medical treatment and perhaps one or two days off of work. More severe injuries, such as brain trauma or a limb amputation, can be life-altering and may result in years of disability payments.

Workers’ compensation injury compensation claims can come in several forms:

• Medical-only payments
• Temporary partial disability
• Temporary total disability
• Permanent partial disability
• Permanent total disability

The difference between a “partial” and a “total” disability is one of degree: a “partial” disability means that the employee is still able to work in some capacity. The difference between “temporary” and “permanent” is self-explanatory; a person with a permanent disability is affected for the duration of their lives by that injury.

Workers who have sustained any kind of temporary or permanent disability must receive a workers’ comp disability rating. This rating is a way to quantify to what extent the individual is disabled. Different body parts are assigned different ratings, and hence, different levels of compensation and days allowed off work. More severe and impactful injuries receive higher disability ratings.

However, the job itself is also considered when assigning workers’ comp disability ratings. A professional violinist, for example, would be severely impacted from the loss of a pinky finger, as it is needed in playing their instrument. This would be factored into the disability rating.

Workers who qualify for disability can also receive impairment ratings. Based on this rating, they may receive different amounts of impairment rating payouts for a varying number of weeks. “Impairment” is different from “disability” in that it should reflect a whole-body condition. The impairment rating is given when a person has reached “maximum medical improvement”; that is, when they have healed or recovered as much as they are going to.