If you have been injured while at work and you can no longer work for a certain period of time, you likely qualify for workers’ compensation. However, there are a few important things about workers’ compensation that you may not be familiar with. The following are a few of them.

You Cannot Collect Unless Your Employer Participates

Most states have laws regarding business requirements for carrying workers’ compensation insurance, but many states also have exceptions to these laws. Sometimes, for example, there will be an exception for small businesses that have a few employees, and do not meet the minimum threshold to buy workers’ compensation.

Although it is likely that your employer has workers’ compensation, it is not a sure thing, so if you are injured on the job, you should find a Tampa personal injury attorney immediately.

Sometimes Your Injury Will Be Challenged

Paying out workers’ compensation is expensive for a business. This usually comes in the form of higher premiums. For this reason, a business may dispute your claim. It may be that the business owner tells the insurance company that there was no way you were injured at work. It was likely over the weekend.

This situation happens when a worker claims to be injured on a Monday. Businesses are usually suspicious of this, and so are insurance companies. However, if you were, in fact, injured on a Monday, be prepared for skepticism. You may need to hire an attorney.

You May Be Watched

Even after your claim is granted, you may be under surveillance. If there is strong suspicion that you are lying or exaggerating your injury to collect workers’ compensation, an insurance company may go so far as to hire a private investigator to spy on your public movements.

 You may not think this will happen, but it doesn’t take much to get the wheels rolling on an investigation. Perhaps you have a fellow worker that simply doesn’t like you, so they claim that you are not really injured.

You are exaggerating your injury to get worker’s compensation. This can happen because of jealousy or envy. Your co-worker still has to go to work while you are thought of as being on a vacation. What you need to be aware of is that whether you are or are not being watched, you should never do any physical activity that is beyond the scope of your injury. Make sure you follow your doctor’s orders.…