When a person is injured while working at a construction site, any
resulting legal claim he or she files may be affected by workers' compensation
laws, depending on the employment situation and the extent to which his or her
employer is responsible.
Workers’ compensation is a system of laws that outlines specific
benefits to which an injured employee is entitled. It works as an important
safety net for construction workers when they are injured while on the job. A
workers' compensation claim is not a lawsuit against an employer, rather a
request for certain benefits.
Under workers' compensation program, an injured employee is entitled
to the following:
Medical care: Under medical treatment compensation, an injured construction
worker is entitled to reasonable necessary medical treatment to cure or relieve
the effects of his or her injury. This may include medical bills, prescriptions
and even hospital visits.
Temporary disability: If the construction injuries causes a worker to take time away from
work due to medical reasons, he or she might be entitled to temporary
disability payments. Temporary disability benefits provide partial compensation
for lost wages, such as about two-thirds of average weekly gross pay. This
benefit is to be paid out every two weeks.
Permanent disability: If the injuries are severe and the injured cannot completely
recover from the effects of the injury, he or she could be entitled to a
monetary award. The amount of benefits will depend on how much limitation the
injury places on the activities of the injured. Other elements, such as age,
occupation and earnings at the time of injury are also taken into
consideration.
Vocational rehabilitation: If the injury prevents the injured to return to his or her former
job, he or she must be given vocational training to help him or her get another
job. During vocational rehabilitation, the injured may be entitled to a partial
income from the employer.