When you’re injured at work, you can often get workers’ compensation to help cover the costs. Does this apply when you work from home? In many cases it does. The following are some things to consider when trying to get workers’ compensation as someone who works from home.
What Type of Work Do You Do?
The first thing you need to consider is what type of work you do. If you are a freelance writer contracted with a company to write their content, you may not be entitled to workers’ compensation. In most cases, freelancers and other similar contractors are considered to be self-employed.
On the other hand, there are several types of jobs that could entitle you to workers’ compensation. For example, if you box items and ship them to a company, you could have certain work hours and a salary that is specific to your job. As someone on the official payroll, you are generally entitled to workers’ compensation.
If you work as a contractor, you might want to reconsider your position with the company you do business with. It’s possible you can get on as a full-time employee so you can enjoy the benefits of workers’ compensation, even if you work from home.
What Caused the Injury?
There are dozens of things that could happen to cause an injury while you’re working from home. If something unrelated to your job is what caused the injury, you can’t claim workers’ compensation. If the task you were doing is directly related to your job, you do often have a claim to it.
For example, if you were having lunch and went outside to feed your dog, but tripped and fell down the patio stairs, you probably wouldn’t be able to receive compensation. If you were sitting at your desk doing paperwork when your Great Dane bounded in and knocked you over, injuries sustained in that type of accident could qualify you for workers’ compensation because you were performing your work duties.
Is It Time To Get a Lawyer Involved in Your Case?
Regardless of whether you work from home or in the office, it often helps to get a lawyer involved when you are injured while performing your work duties. At-home work could complicate the situation, but it is often easy to gain compensation as someone who works from home.
If you are seeking clarity on your workers’ compensation claim or more information on workers’ compensation, then contact New York workers’ compensation lawyers from the law firm Polsky, Shouldice & Rosen, P.C. learn more about workers’ compensation and some of the next steps you might be able to take.