Workers' Compensation Basics

A comprehensive overview of workers' compensation insurance and what it covers. Learn about workers’ compensation laws, the scope of coverage, the types of injuries covered, and how to file a claim.

Employers in most states are required to provide their employees with workers’ compensation insurance. Failure to do so can result in fines, civil liability, and even criminal prosecution in certain circumstances.

An in-depth look at worker’s compensation benefits. Learn about who is covered by worker’s compensation insurance, what kinds of injuries aren’t included, and what types of expenses are and aren’t covered.

Only injuries that are connected in some way to an employment requirement or condition are compensable by workers’ compensation insurance. This section details how insurers define "work-related injury" for the purposes of determining coverage.

In some rare circumstances, as in the case of intentional torts, an employee can sue his or her employer rather than pursue workers’ compensation benefits. In this section, you’ll learn when you can, and cannot, sue your employer for a work-related injury.

In most states, an injured worker is entitled to benefits for medical care, temporary or permanent disability, and vocational rehabilitation. Depending on the amount of the employee’s wages, however, benefits may be stopped once the employee returns to work.