What is Workers' Compensation?

Have you suffered from a work injury in Depew, NY and are wondering how workers' compensation can help? Dr. Palmer is a skilled chiropractor experienced in treating workplace injuries, and help get you back on the job as quickly and safely as possible.

Workers’ compensation: it’s something we often hear lawyers talking about on TV, or maybe even read about in our employee handbooks, but many people don’t really understand the concept behind the term. In short, workers’ compensation is a form of insurance designed to deliver compensatory payment to employees who have suffered a work injury.

Usually mandated and controlled by state governments, workers’ compensation (or, as it is usually referred to in common vernacular, “workers’ comp”) is an arrangement that protects and benefits both employees and employers. Employees are benefited by workers’ comp because they can usually secure medical benefits for any injury that befalls them on the job. In most cases, it does not matter who was at fault for the work injury in question. If the employee was injured in the course of performing his or her job, he or she is eligible to receive what essentially amounts to health insurance benefits from an employer.

Workers’ compensation also benefits employers, though. By reimbursing workers for their medical bills, employers protect themselves from any sort of legal recourse that could result from a work injury. If an employee accepts workers’ compensation payments from an employer, they simultaneously give up their right to sue that employer for damages related to the work injury.

In addition to serving as a form of health insurance, workers’ compensation can function either as life insurance or disability insurance. Examples are outlined below:

• If an employee is killed in a work-related accident, his or her employer is required by workers’ compensation laws to pay damages to that employee’s family.


• If an employee’s work injury keeps them from working for any period of time, his or her employer is required to make salary payments to replace the lost work hours.

Undoubtedly, the health insurance form of workers’ comp – where the employer reimburses a worker for medical payments related to a work injury – is the most common. If you have been injured on the job, know your rights under workers’ compensation laws in New York, and seek medical attention for your injuries. Even if you might not think you have been seriously hurt, there may be issues that could cause greater health problems for you down the road.

For instance, many work injuries result in small spinal misalignments that, if left untreated, can lead to years of chronic back pain. By visiting a chiropractor and then seeking workers’ compensation payment from your employer, you can correct the issue before it becomes a problem. Call Buffalo Chiropractic today to schedule an appointment with Dr. William Palmer, a Depew chiropractor that can help you get past your work injury as quickly and painlessly as possible.