A workplace injury can affect far more than your working day. You may face medical expenses, time away from work, and even reduced income. In more serious cases, health changes can be long-lasting.
Workers’ compensation can provide some level of support when someone becomes injured or ill because of work, but determining whether something is genuinely work-related isn’t always straightforward. If circumstances are complicated, speaking to a personal injury lawyer can help you understand what options may be available.
So what actually counts as a work injury?
Back Pain When You Work Remotely?
You work from home and develop back pain after months at your desk. Is that automatically your employer’s responsibility? Not necessarily, but you also shouldn’t assume that working remotely rules out a work-related injury.
Sometimes, workers are covered by workers’ compensation while working from home, but if you are responsible for your own setup, it can be difficult to obtain compensation. Ultimately, poor workstation setups and sedentary work, while recognised as potential home-working hazards, can also fall within the control of the worker.
Typically, prevention is crucial here, and most employers have measures in place to help you make healthy choices. You can often seek financial support for the purchase of ergonomic furniture, such as a standing desk, if your role allows it. The onboarding process also includes recommendations for regular breaks away from the screen.
An Accident During Your Commute?
Imagine you’re driving to your office when another car hits you. While these incidents don’t happen in your actual workplace, they happen while you are commuting to it. So, it’s fair to ask whether these count as a work injury.
Some injuries sustained while travelling for work can qualify, depending on your occupation. If there is a real and substantial connection between the employment and the incident, and the car too, then the claim may be reviewed as such. However, more often than not, car accidents fall under personal injuries rather than workplace-related injuries, which means the responsibility falls on the drivers involved.
Catching an Illness from a Colleague?
Winter arrives, and suddenly everyone in the office seems to be coughing. You become ill a few days later. Does that make your cold a workplace injury?
Again, simply becoming sick after a colleague was ill doesn’t automatically establish a compensable work-related illness. It also doesn’t necessarily establish a causal link, especially if you are exposed to the same seasonal symptoms outside the workplace too. If you are concerned about catching the flu, for instance, it can be a good idea to join the flu vaccination programme to avoid risk.
Typically, while workers’ compensation isn’t restricted to physical accidents, this doesn’t mean that everything qualifies.
What Can Be a Work Injury?
Some situations have a much clearer connection to work, such as:
- Warehouse employee injured while lifting stock
- Construction worker hurt by equipment
- Office worker slipping on a workplace hazard
Occupational illnesses can also count. However, conditions may develop gradually, such as as a result of exposure to hazards. Here again, there will need to be further evidence that the company didn’t provide sufficient protection to receive compensation.
Ultimately, context matters a lot when it comes to workplace injury and compensation. It is fair to say that an injury that happens in relation to work doesn’t necessarily qualify as a workplace injury.
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