When you are injured or develop an illness at work, you should tell your employer as soon as possible and seek help for your injury or illness. You may already know that a workplace injury or illness could qualify you for workers’ compensation benefits. However, what if you have an injury or illness that becomes worse because of your job? Are you still qualified to receive workers’ compensation benefits? Physical movement is a required part of many jobs. But if you sustain an injury with a lengthy recovery period or develop an illness that takes a long time to get over, you might find yourself ..read more

It doesn’t always feel this way when you’re trying to get your benefits, but the Massachusetts workers’ compensation system is designed to offer a convenient, streamlined process — at least in comparison to filing a personal injury claim. When you file a personal injury claim, you have to prove that someone else caused your injuries through negligence, but you don’t have to prove that your employer did anything wrong before you can collect workers’ compensation benefits. As long as your injury happened in in the course of your employment, you should be covered. That said, there’s a tradeoff fo ..read more

Many companies are legally required to provide workers’ compensation benefits to employees that are injured at work. While this may seem straightforward, there are many situations where an employer or insurer may claim that an employee is not entitled to workers’ compensation because they were not on-site at the time of the injury. However, employees may recover worker’s compensation even if they are offsite when they were injured. Workers may still recover benefits for offsite work errands It is not uncommon for workers to wear many different hats while they are at work. In addition to doing ..read more

Every year, summertime brings a large change in the job market as thousands of workers take seasonal jobs. These may include students who pick up jobs during breaks from schooling and service industry workers who cater to the summer resort crowd, as well as workers taking various short-term positions that are open only during the warmer months of the year. While these jobs may not be meant to last for more than a few months, they present many of the same risks of injury as any other employment. In fact, they may have even higher risks of injury due to the fact that the workers may have less ex ..read more

If you have gone to the same doctor for years, it is probably because they have earned your trust. You get along well with them and know they have the experience, knowledge and caring attitude to help you and your family through illness and injury. Naturally, after getting hurt at work, you want treatment from a doctor like that. But you might have heard that Massachusetts workers’ compensation law requires you to use a doctor that your employer chooses. Fortunately, that is not true. You have the right to choose the doctor who will treat your work-related injury or illness — after the first v ..read more

Being injured on the job can make life tough. Not only will you probably burn through your paid time off quickly, if you even have any, meaning that you’ll be unable to earn your wage, but you’ll also have medical bills that will be coming due. These medical expenses can be pretty extensive, too, even if you have good health insurance. As a result, without assistance, you might find it hard to find financial stability and obtain needed care while you focus on recovering your health. This is where a workers’ compensation claim may help. If you’re successful on one of these claims, you can recov ..read more

Roughly fifty years ago, on July 31, 1972, the National Commission on State Workmen’s Compensation Laws delivered its report to the President and Congress. The report outlined 84 recommendations, 19 of which were deemed “essential.” The reforms adopted in response to the National Commission’s recommendations have formed the basic structure of the modern workers’ compensation system in America today.   Join the U.S. Department of Labor for a panel discussion, including the Chairman of the National Commission, to consider the legacy of the National Commission, and whether the workers’ compe ..read more

If you are injured at work, it’s important to seek out medical help as soon as possible. It’s also important to report your injury to your employer as soon as you can. To help understand the process of getting help for a workplace injury, it is useful to be familiar with workers’ compensation benefits. Timely reporting is necessary Workers’ compensation is an important resource for injured workers. It is a no-fault system, which means injured workers generally don’t need to prove that their employer did anything wrong before they can receive benefits. However, injured workers do need to follow ..read more

There are many different working conditions in Massachusetts and some are more dangerous than others. Workers have different job requirements both physically and with what materials or equipment they need to use to complete their jobs. With the proper training and safety equipment most of the dangers at various jobs can be mitigated, but unfortunately those are not always followed and workplace accidents occur. Workers suffer injuries as a result of these accidents, which can be very detrimental to the worker both physically and financially. Overexertion There are many different ways that work ..read more

For Massachusetts residents who are injured, ill or are suffering from a condition that renders them unable to work, Social Security disability (SSD) can be a lifeline. In the aftermath of discovering that work is no longer possible – at least for the near future – and SSD might be needed, it is imperative to be aware of the basics of a claim. The process can be confusing, especially for those who are already worried about what they will do to make ends meet and get the medical treatment they need. From the outset, it is imperative to have a grasp of the basics of an SSD case. The fundamentals ..read more