Hyattsville, Maryland Workers' Comp Attorney | Maryland Workers' Compensation Laws

What is Workers' Compensation?

Under Maryland State law, all employers having one or more employees, full or part-time, are required to have Workers' Compensation insurance for the benefit of their employees. An employer or employee cannot waive provisions of this Workers' Compensation Law.

What benefits are provided by Workers' Compensation insurance?

To be covered under Workers' Compensation, an employee must have received an accidental personal injury while working ("on the job"). The injury must have arisen "out of and in the course of employment" in the words of the law. Not all workplace injuries are compensable. If your injury is determined to be covered then the employer or the employer's insurance carrier will provide medical and hospital treatment and partial income replacement benefits until you can return to work or until you reach maximum medical improvement.

Who pays for Workers' Compensation insurance?

The cost of Workers' Compensation insurance itself is borne entirely by the employer. No payroll deductions are taken out of individual employees' paychecks.  If your claim is found to be compensable your weekly benefits and all medical bills will be paid directly by your employer or their insurer. 

Are all injuries that occurred "on the job" covered by the Worker's Compensation Law?

No. Not all injuries are covered by the Workers' Compensation Law even if the injury happened "on the job." In Maryland, in order for an injury to be covered, the harm suffered by the employee must have been caused by an "accidental personal injury arising out of and in the course of employment." Just because a person is hurt "while working," "on the job" or "at work" may not be enough for the insurance to apply. Additionally, if you can prove that you have an occupational disease you may be entitled to Workers' Compensation benefits.

How do you determine if the injury was an accident?

An accident is when a sudden unusual or extraordinary event causes an unexpected result. The unexpected result is a bodily injury; that must be caused by an unexpected or unusual event. Injuries that do not fit into this category may very well be covered by general health insurance but may not be compensable under the Maryland Workers' Compensation Act.

What is an occupational disease?

Exceptions to the accident requirement are occupational diseases. These are illnesses caused by the nature of the circumstances surrounding the worker's job. For example, asbestosis is a disease that may have been caused by a worker's job of removing asbestos from buildings. Some forms of skin, eye or lung disease may have been caused by long term exposure to chemical solvents or other solutions used on the job. Conditions such as these may result in the employee's being covered by workers' compensation even though there was no specific "accident;" they are covered as occupational diseases.

What does it mean when the injury must "arise out of the employment"?

For a compensable accidental injury claim, the injury must "arise out of the employment". If the conditions under which the work is required to be performed by the employer causes the worker's injury, it is said to "arise out of" the employment. The focus of this factor is on the exposure of the employee to risk or danger because of the job requirements. For example, if a person must work in an environment that is usually wet and slippery--for instance, a car wash facility or a water amusement ride at an entertainment park--then a slip-and-fall injury experienced by that worker could be said to arise out of the person's employment.

How is "be in the course of employment" different from "arise out of the employment"? 

For a compensable accidental injury claim, the injury must also "be in the course of employment." "In the course of employment" is a slightly different factor. Here the attention centers on the time, place and circumstances of the injury. If the injury occurs during the period of time when an employee was at work, the employer's place of business or such other location as may have been designated by the employer, and while the employee was performing their job duties or something related to them when the injury took place, the injury is said to have arisen in the course of that person's employment.

I meet all of the requirements for a Workers' Compensation claim. Should I contact a lawyer?

Yes. If you plan to file a claim for Workers' Compensation benefits, the sooner you seek legal advice the better. The Workers' Compensation laws prohibit an attorney from charging a fee, unless the attorney is successful in making your claim for benefits. Therefore, it should not cost you anything to discuss your claim with an attorney. Your attorney's advice will be very important in ensuring that you receive the maximum benefits to which you are entitled by law. At the very least you should get legal advice before filing your claim or allowing any person to take a statement from you concerning your claim.

Fatal Single Vehicle Accident on Interstate 70

On May 24, 2010, during the morning rush hour there was a serious single vehicle accident on Interstate 70 in Howard County, Maryland. A box truck was traveling westbound when it left the roadway and struck several trees. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene and Interstate 70 was closed for several hours. The cause of the accident is still under investigation.

An accident re-constructionist was most likely called to the scene to help determine the cause of the accident. If skid measurements were taken by an expert, the speed at impact could have been determined. Proper measurements, done timely, with eye witness testimony, could assist in determining if the driver in this accident just lost control of his vehicle, if he was cut off by another driver, or even if his vehicle was not working properly.

Many auto insurance policies that carry Personal Injury Protection also carry a specific Death Benefit coverage that can be paid in the event that a death should occur as the result of an accident. This benefit generally ranges from $1,000.00 to $5,000.00. It is important to review the terms of your policy to verify whether or not your policy has such a benefit.

However, in the event that the driver was working at the time of the accident his family may be entitled to additional benefits under workers' compensation. Since this individual was unfortunately killed in the course of his employment his spouse and/or children may be entitled to receive benefits based on what the employee was making at the time of the accident. Although there is a cap placed on these benefits, it is possible to also obtain a burial allowance in cases such as this.

If you have been injured as the result of an automobile accident or sustained a work related injury, please contact Portner & Shure and speak with our Maryland accident lawyers for a free legal consultation.

Montgomery County Police Officer dies in Single Vehicle Accident: Maryland Workers Compensation Applies

On April 4, 2010 at 2:20 a.m., Officer Hector Ayala was traveling west on Randolph Road in response to a call from another Officer needing assistance at the scene of a fight.  Officer Ayala was killed in route when his vehicle ran off the road and struck a tree.  If this accident were not tragic enough, Officer Ayala leaves behind a wife who is pregnant with triplets and a 14 month old son.  

Working the midnight shift, Officer Ayala, who was fluent in Spanish, was invaluable to the Wheaton district.  Many residents only speak Spanish, and therefore, he was often called on by other officers to help interpret.  

Little information is being released about the accident as police continue to investigate.  There could be any number of reasons this accident occurred, whether speed, in an attempt to assist a fellow officer, being cut off by another motorist, debris in the roadway, medical emergency, etc.  In this instance, if the accident was the officer's fault, his wife would be entitled to make a workers' compensation claim.  Further, if it was determined another motorist or circumstances other than the officer's negligence was the proximate cause of this accident than his survivors would be entitled to other benefits.  

Workers compensation applies because the officer was working in the course of his employment at the time of the accident.  Since he died the code requires that he have dependents to obtain a recovery.  In this case, he had a wife and several children.  Next, in addition to workers compensation, the family may be able to make a third party claim against the other driver, if it was determined another driver caused this accident.

It is important to always contact a personal injury attorney who is experienced in dealing with these types of claims to assist you and ensure you receive each benefit you are entitled to.

If you, a family member or someone you know has been involved in an automobile accident or you would like more information regarding automobile accidents, please contact Portner & Shure and speak with one of our Maryland accident lawyers for a free consultation.