Workers Comp Lawyer on What Injuries May Not be Covered

Worker’s comp covers a wide range of injuries in the workplace, but it doesn’t cover everything. Knowing your rights is important when you’re thinking about making a workers comp claim. Take the advice of a workers comp lawyer, if you are injured for the following reasons, you may not be eligible for workers comp benefits.

Intoxication

If you’re intoxicated while on the job and you get injured, it’s almost guaranteed that you won’t get workers comp benefits. After an injury, your place of employment will require you to pass a drug test before granting any benefits. So if you have drugs or alcohol in your system, you won’t get benefits. Everything will have to come out of your pocket.

Criminal Activity

If you are hurt at the workplace while committing a crime, you won’t be covered by workers compensation. For instance, if you were attempting to steal merchandise and you fell, you would not be covered. Similarly, assaulting someone in the workplace wouldn’t be covered, as not only is it a crime, it would be considered self-harm if you were hurt because of it. Self-harm is never covered by workers comp. Criminal activity isn’t included in the scope of your work arrangement, so you would most definitely not be covered by workers comp.

Misconduct

If you’re not following company policies and conduct, you may or may not be eligible for workers comp benefits. It all depends on your level of misconduct. For instance, gross misconduct would probably not be covered. But if you are not conducting yourself properly, and your boss is allowing it, you would probably be able to receive benefits. It all depends on the circumstances and your unique situation. Ask a workers comp lawyer when trying to determine whether or not you’re entitled to any compensation.

Off Hours

If you’re injured when you’re not working, it won’t be covered by workers comp. This may seem obvious, but sometimes people think they may be entitled to compensation if they were injured while driving to or from work. This isn’t during work hours, so it wouldn’t entitle you to compensation. There are extenuating circumstances for this of course, such as traveling on a business trip. Consult with a workers comp lawyer to see if your case falls into this category.

Contact a Workers Comp Lawyer Today

If you were injured at work, contact a workers comp lawyer at Tolbert Beadle, LLC. We offer free consultations, so you have nothing to lose. We are completely transparent with our clients, so we’ll tell you whether or not your case warrants workers comp benefits. Our years of expertise allows us to always make the best recommendation for our clients and helps us to fight on their behalf. Schedule a consultation with a workers comp lawyer today.