Workers Compensation in Michigan
You aren’t alone if you wonder how workers comp works. Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that provides wage and medical benefits to people who have become ill or injured while at work. The extent of workers’ comp coverage an employer is required to carry is governed by Michigan state law.
Thus, in trying to figure out how workers comp works, it helps to understand the laws on the books in the state where the business operates. If the injury or illness a worker sustains is eligible for compensation, the insurance carrier should help ease the financial burden the illness or injury created on the worker. Learn some of the basic principles of Michigan workers’ compensation insurance and how the process works.
Workers Compensation Statistics in Michigan?
Michigan’s Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity reported 104,800 nonfatal work-related injuries in 2018 alone. Construction and manufacturing companies accounted for an eye-opening 48.6% of all reported cases in the most recent data available. Metadata from the Michigan Department of Health & Human Services shows that $937 million in prior and new claims still required reimbursement in 2016. The same report from the health department estimates that 20,000 people receive workers’ compensation for work-related injuries or illnesses.
How Does Workers Comp Work in Michigan?
There is a standard practice to follow when going through the Michigan workers’ compensation process. Unfortunately, it begins with you getting sick or injured on the job. The circumstances surrounding the incident that led to the injury are especially crucial. The injury had to occur during your regular work duties. It could also occur while you are performing a special task at the request of your boss.
Michigan requires most employers to have workers’ compensation insurance. It’s crucial to know that exemptions exist for agriculture employers, households with housekeepers, independent contractors, and all public employees. Reimbursements include paying for medical bills for physical and psychological injuries, lost wages, rehabilitation services, and death benefits. The state provides up to 90% of an individual’s average weekly salary while on workers’ compensation.
The steps you take immediately following a workplace incident in Michigan are critical for purposes of filing a compensation claim. Follow the following steps to preserve your rights and learn how workers comp works.
Get Medical Attention
After you get injured or feel ill, the first step is to see a doctor. Don’t delay receiving help from a Michigan healthcare professional. This could not only jeopardize your health, but you run the risk of missing time-sensitive deadlines in the workers’ compensation process.
Even if you believe that your injury is minor, get a proper medical report detailing the extent of the damage and how it occurred. This is the first step in the workers’ compensation claim process. Absent a medical report, your employer cannot file a claim with the insurance carrier.
When dealing with a job-related illness, the symptoms and diagnosis may not happen right away. You may find yourself attending regular checkups and testing for weeks or months before a doctor finally associates your illness with your job. All of your medical records will become the foundation from which the workers’ comp carrier will launch its investigation. Your doctor may make the determination that the illness is the result of your work conditions or aggravated by them. Once they do, see your human resources representative to file a workers’ compensation claim.
File a First Report of Injury
Once you have a medical diagnosis relating your illness or injury to your job, you must file a claim with your employer. This is the next important phase of how Michigan workers comp works.
Michigan gives employees injured on the job two years to apply for workers’ compensation. Any attempts to obtain benefits after that time may result in a denial. After seeking medical attention, report the injury to your employer as soon as you become aware that one has occurred. Businesses are responsible for completing the First Report of Injury or Illness form for any work-related injury within seven days of an incident that keeps an employee from returning to their regular schedule. Assuming that you receive approval, the 2021 Weekly Benefit Tables report that the maximum weekly amount an individual may receive is $975.
The first report of an on-the-job injury or illness will provide the workers’ compensation insurance carrier with the details of the events leading up to the injury. In this report, you will provide your physical injuries, the medical treatment you received, and the facilities that provided it. It’s always a good idea to submit a copy of the doctor’s report with the report of injury.
Your employer is responsible for providing details about the claims process. At some point, an insurance adjuster or carrier representative may contact you to discuss the incident and identify potential witnesses. In Michigan, there is a mandatory seven-day waiting period before beneficiaries can begin receiving payments. While payments may continue as long as your disability lasts, severe injuries might warrant exploring an application for permanent disability benefits.
Why You Should Hire a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
In learning how Michigan workers comp works, many people believe that the injury claims process is straightforward. While this may be the case in some instances, in others, it may be more of a hassle. For instance, your employer may question whether you were hurt on the clock or on your own time. The company may also start to question the extent of your injury. There may even arise pay disputes and long-term care dictated by the doctor. Don’t question how workers comp works and risk losing your claim. Hire a Michigan workers’ comp lawyer and ensure you have an advocate to fight for your rights as a victim.
Work With an Experienced Local Lawyer in Michigan
Your health and well-being need to come first. If you are hurt while working or find out an illness you are suffering is the result of your job, you will want to seek compensation. Since the workers’ compensation claims process may be tricky, you should consider getting a local attorney well-versed in how to deal with it. We can even help you connect with an attorney across Michigan state lines. They can guide you while you continue to learn how workers comp works.
Submit a request online or call us today at (866) 345-6784 to get in touch with an experienced lawyer in your area!
About the Author
Aaron is a professional legal writer with a B.S. in English Education from Southern Illinois University – Carbondale. He has written, published, and edited thousands of legal articles for RequestLegalHelp, which has connected over 5 million people to legal help in the United States.
With over five years of experience writing thousands of legal articles for law firms across the U.S. and Canada, Aaron specializes in covering federal, state, and city-level legal issues ranging from auto accidents to wrongful terminations. Contact Aaron at [email protected] for article suggestions, collaborations, or inquiries.
