Maryland’s workers’ compensation system is geared towards ensuring that employees who suffer work-related injuries or illnesses receive adequate compensation. As an employee, it is important to familiarize oneself with the state’s workers’ compensation laws to know what compensation to expect when injured or ill. In this article, we’ll provide you with comprehensive information on Maryland’s Personal Injury Laws for Workers’ Compensation Cases.
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Who Is Covered By Maryland’s Workers’ Compensation Law?
Maryland’s workers’ compensation law covers a broad range of employees. Almost all employees, regardless of their employer’s size and industry, are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. There are, however, some exemptions from the program.
Typically, exemptions include casual employees, independent contractors, and certain types of agricultural and seafood workers. Workers’ compensation coverage is usually mandated for all public and private employers which have at least one employee. Maryland law does not require employers to contribute anything towards workers’ compensation coverage.
What Types of Injuries Are Covered By Workers’ Compensation?
Maryland’s workers’ compensation system compensates employees for medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses incurred as a result of a work-related injury or illness. Work-related injuries are classified as those that arise out of and in the course of employment.
For example, a work-related injury might involve falling from scaffolding while working on a construction site, a slip and fall injury in the office, or repetitive stress injuries incurred through consistent, repetitive actions such as typing on a computer or standing on a conveyor belt for an extended period.
What Benefits are Available Under Maryland’s Workers’ Compensation Law?
Maryland’s workers’ compensation system provides several types of benefits to injured employees. These benefits include:
Medical Treatment
Workers’ compensation covers all reasonable and necessary medical treatment costs that occur as a result of a work-related injury. This includes medical consultations, surgeries, specialist treatment, hospital care, and physical therapy.
Wage Loss Benefits
Employees who suffer work-related injuries and are forced to take time off work or work with restricted duties and lower hours receive compensation under the worker’s compensation program. Typically, injured workers are entitled to receive two-thirds of their average weekly wage.
Vocational Rehabilitation
If an injured worker is unable to return to their previous employment due to their injury, the injured worker may be eligible for vocational rehabilitation. Vocational rehabilitation provides necessary skills training and resources for re-entering the workforce.
Permanent Disability of being in a Coma
Under Maryland’s worker’s compensation program, an employee who falls into a coma due to injuries received at work may be eligible for permanent disability payments. The Permanent Disability of being in a Coma statute allows for compensation for the lifetime care and maintenance of an injured worker.
What to Do When Injured on the Job?
Employees who have sustained a work-related injury should take the following steps to protect their rights under Maryland’s workers’ compensation program:
Report Your Injury to Your Employer
Maryland law requires injured employees to report their injuries to their employers within ten days of the incident. After reporting the injury, the employer then provides the necessary forms to start a workers’ compensation claim.
Get Medical Treatment
Injured employees should seek medical treatment immediately after being injured. Under Maryland’s workers’ compensation system, employers have the right to choose the physician you see, but an injured employee has the right to a second opinion.
File a Workers’ Compensation Claim
Once an injured employee has reported their injury to their employer, the employer has ten days to file a report with the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission. If the employer fails to make a report, the injured employee may file a claim.
In summary, Maryland’s workers’ compensation law is designed to provide adequate compensation to employees who suffer work-related injuries. If an employee sustains an injury while on the job, they should receive medical treatment, report the injury to their employer, and file a workers’ compensation claim. Properly navigating the process is critical to ensure adequate compensation.