Workers’ compensation law has undergone significant changes since its establishment over a hundred years ago. Workers’ comp aims to help injured employees recoup their lost wages and pay their medical expenses as they recover and prepare to return to work, if possible. But lately, experts and workers alike have wondered who workers’ comp actually protects—injured employees or businesses?
Increased Scrutiny of Workers’ Compensation Claims
Because of fears of insurance fraud, injured workers must jump through increasingly more hurdles to seek compensation for their losses. After all their troubles, many receive reduced benefits or unjustly get their claims rejected. If you ask a typical workers’ comp attorney in the Cincinnati area, they’ll tell you some claims adjusters will take extraordinary measures to protect their companies against fraud. However, studies show only about 1-2% of all workers’ comp claims are fraudulent.
Because workers’ comp protects businesses from being sued, there is little recourse for hurt workers who need help with medical bills or lost wages. States vary considerably in their worker’s compensation laws. Texas doesn’t require most employers to carry work’s comp insurance, and other states have cheaper systems that offer little to no protections for workers.
Impacts on Workers and Their Families
If states can’t adequately hold employers accountable, workers and their families must carry the burdens of medical expenses and lost wages after a workplace injury. When this happens, a business has little to no reason to improve workplace safety. Employees have little to no control over their working conditions. Therefore, it’s on their employers to make sure they get adequate compensation when a work-related sickness or injury costs a worker money or prevents them from continuing their work.
Why Legal Representation is Crucial
As work injury laws shift toward protecting the business instead of employees, workers should remain vigilant and understand their rights. They should also contact a work injury attorney at Clements, Taylor, Butkovich & Cohen, LPA, Co., if they’re not receiving adequate compensation for their injury. Our team is ready to answer your questions and inform you of your options based on your case.