Does Workers' Compensation Covers Employees Off the Job?

Workers' Compensation protects you if you sustain a severe injury. The policy helps assist with your medical treatment and rehab. You may have questions concerning whether workers' compensation protects you away from your job site. Look precisely at what workers' compensation covers.

Basic Overview

Each state has unique workers' compensation laws. However, workers' compensation’s primary function is to protect employees. Assistance with medical treatment costs due to an injury sustained outside of the job is generally excluded, with a few exceptions.

Traveling Out of Town

It's recommended that you look over your employee handbook to see how your workers' compensation benefits are handled when you're traveling out of town. Perhaps you sustained an injury while attending a mandatory conference. Workers' compensation should cover your treatment costs because you were hurt while attending a work-related event. You're also covered through workers' compensation if you're completing errands related to the business, such as driving to the grocery store or post office.

Attending Sponsored Events

Your business likes to host periodic events to help maintain high employee morale. Parties, picnics, and music/gaming nights are some of the most popular employee-sponsored activities. Depending on your state's laws, you may be covered through workers' compensation if you sustain an injury at one of these sponsored events. Remember that each state has different laws, so your claim could be denied. Your insurer may research more information about the incident, such as whether attendance was mandatory and if you signed a waiver.

Areas Outside the General Work Environment

Parking lots and sidewalks are common areas outside the immediate work environment where injuries may occur. Your workers' compensation should kick in if you sustain an injury in one of these areas and your employer owns or manages them.

Daily Commute

Any injuries during your daily commute to work may not be covered through workers' compensation in most states. However, you are covered if constantly traveling is a part of your job.

Consult with Fuller Insurance Agency!

If you sustain an injury and cannot work, you can apply for disability if workers' compensation won't cover you. The team here at Fuller Insurance Agency will work hard to help you secure the benefits to which you are entitled. Contact us to get the right insurance coverage.