Workers Compensation in Wyoming
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 Wyoming 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 Wyoming workers’ compensation insurance and how the process works.
Workers Compensation Statistics in Wyoming?
A Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses reported 7,500 cases of workplace illness or injury in Wyoming in 2019. The Department of Workforce Services says 3.4 out of every 100 workers fell ill or got injured on the job, which provides perspective on the problem. Couriers, nurses, and residential care facility employees in Wyoming had the highest rates of incidents by a wide margin. The NIOSH Mountain and Plains Education and Research Center estimated in 2009 that medical billings had averages as high as $38,735. Adjusting for inflation up to December 2020, that number could be as high as $47,784.96.
How Does Workers Comp Work in Wyoming?
There is a standard practice to follow when going through the Wyoming 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 the course of your regular work duties. It could also occur while you were performing a special task at the request of your boss.
The average monthly wage for a person receiving workers’ compensation in Wyoming was $2,759.02 during the fourth quarter of 2020. The Department of Workforce Services will pay ⅔ of your average weekly salary, up to $779 per week. Medical benefits, travel reimbursement, vocational rehabilitation, and other services are also available to you. Wyoming law requires that all employers carry workers’ compensation insurance, but there are exceptions. Volunteers for non-profit organizations, independent contractors, and casual laborers are among the occupations that have exclusions.
The steps you take immediately following a workplace incident in Wyoming are critical for the purposes of filing a claim for compensation. 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 Wyoming 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 Wyoming workers comp works.
The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services says that employees must report an injury to their employer within 72 hours. You also have a responsibility to notify the Workers’ Compensation Division with a Report of Injury form within the first ten days. The division has fifteen days to review, and if extra information is necessary, you will receive an initial Review letter. You or a doctor must respond with the requested information by the stated deadline.
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 should furnish you with information about the claims process. The adjuster or insurance carrier representative may want to speak to you at some point about the incident and any possible witnesses to the event. You must wait three days before receiving payment for workers’ compensation benefits in Wyoming. If you continue to stay away from work due to an injury for more than eight days, you will receive payment for that time.
Why You Should Hire a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
In learning how Wyoming 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 Wyoming workers’ comp lawyer and ensure you have an advocate to fight for your rights as a victim.
Work With an Experienced Local Lawyer in Wyoming
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 Wyoming state lines. They can guide you while you continue to learn how workers comp works.
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