Employer Requirements for Workers’ Compensation

When people are injured in the workplace, they may quickly find themselves facing steep medical bills. If their injuries occur in the regular course of their duties, without any recklessness on their part, their employer may be required to help with their expenses by way of workers’ compensation insurance. Not every employer carries workers’ compensation insurance, however, and may not be required to do so in some circumstances. How can a worker find out if she is covered?

Workers’ Compensation and the Law

While the state of Illinois does require employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance, every employer is required to make information available about their insurance. If an employer is a subscriber to a workers’ compensation insurance plan, they must post a notice giving information on their provider, information from the state government, and a contact number for reporting unsafe conditions.

Employers that do not carry insurance are required to inform their employees accordingly. Large employers sometimes opt to become “self-insured.” In other words, they can go without an outside insurer. To receive permission to be self-insured, however, companies must demonstrate significant financial stability. They must also present a plan showing what they will do to help employees.

Workers’ compensation insurance covers injured employees’ medical bills, and in many cases can cover lost income as well. When an employer carries it, it can be indispensable in aiding injured employees and helping them return to the workplace as soon as possible. In lines of work where the risk of injury is elevated, it should be taken very seriously—even if the employer is not required to carry it.

Contact Us

If you have been injured at work, and do not think your employer has done enough to help you, contact the experienced Illinois workers’ compensation attorneys of Spiros Law. To discuss your case with a Kankakee personal injury lawyer, call 815-929-9292 today.