Workers’ compensation is purchased by employers. It’s a form of insurance coverage that makes sure that you can receive benefits if you are hurt on the job. For the most part, employers are required to have this insurance.
Not all employers purchase workers’ compensation insurance, though. It may be a result of being unable to afford it or willfully refusing to purchase it. What that means, though, is that workers could be forced to go without insurance if they’re hurt. That would force them to sue their employers.
On Oct. 11, a news report about Florida’s insurance commissioner brought attention to a potential 5.4% reduction in workers’ compensation insurance rates within the state. This drop in rates is based on claims-based data from the end of 2018 and would reduce the overall cost of workers’ compensation insurance for employers. This could, hypothetically, mean that more employers would purchase insurance when they may have allowed it to lapse or tried to go without in the past.
Workers’ compensation is an important system because it is self-executing. It doesn’t require the court to get involved in order to provide benefits like lost wages to employees who have been hurt on the job. As a trade-off for this insurance, employers are protected against civil lawsuits that could result from employees getting hurt on the job.
If you are hurt on the job, you can ask your employer to help you with a workers’ compensation claim. If they do not have workers’ compensation or refuse to assist you with your claim, you may want to reach out to your attorney.
