| In this life, accidents are always omnipresent. Everyone | | | | Categories of Workers' Compensation Act, passed by |
| has their share of accidents in the span of their lifetime. | | | | Congress: |
| Especially for employees, everyday there is a | | | | 1. FELA - Federal Employment Liability Act |
| possibility of getting into an accident or catching a | | | | 2. Black Lung Benefit Act |
| work-related illness as result of an accident. | | | | 3. Federal Jones Act |
| What can we do, getting into accidents is an | | | | 4. LHWCA - Longshore and Harbor Worker |
| unpleasant and unfortunate fact of life. | | | | Compensation Act |
| Even during times when we believe we had done | | | | Meanwhile, the Federal Employment Compensation |
| everything possible to prevent an accident from | | | | Act gives provision for compensation of non-military |
| happening, there are factors that we cannot control. | | | | and federal employees. Many of the conditions |
| The workplace of an employee is among the prime | | | | included in this act are characteristic of most of the |
| area where accidents can happen. There are many | | | | laws regarding worker compensation. |
| policies for upholding the safety and security in a | | | | The damage payments are restricted only to death or |
| workplace. There are federal and state policies | | | | disability suffered during the employee's performance |
| passed in order to keep the workplace safe and | | | | of his or her duties but not due to the intention of the |
| secure enough for employees. There are even | | | | employee or because of intoxication. The act provides |
| government agencies created to look into the | | | | the funding of medical expenses for the employee |
| compliance of health and safety by the employer. | | | | with disability with requirement for job retraining by the |
| By principle, the employers should comply with these | | | | employee, if needed. |
| policies. If ever an accident occurred and an employee | | | | Furthermore, during the disability, the employee may |
| is injured, the brunt of liability is always on the employer. | | | | receive some two thirds of his or her regular salary |
| There are compensation laws that ensure employees | | | | each month. The compensation may be more if the |
| who are injured or disabled while at work to be | | | | injuries sustained are permanent or if the employee |
| provided with payment for damages. Likewise, there | | | | has dependents. |
| are also benefits for the dependents of workers who | | | | Likewise, the act also provides compensation for the |
| are killed because of accidents in the workplace or | | | | survivors of employees that are killed. The agency |
| work-related illness. These kinds of benefit aim to | | | | administering this act is the Office of Workers' |
| mitigate the implications of an accident that happen to | | | | Compensation Programs. |
| an employee, somehow. | | | | An example of an all-inclusive state's compensation |
| The Workers Compensation claim is a law that | | | | program is the state of California's Workers |
| provides preset monetary awards for an injured | | | | Compensation Act. It can benefit employers because |
| employee. This eliminates the process of litigation. | | | | its statute limits the employer's and fellow employees' |
| Meanwhile, there are also laws protecting employers | | | | liability. |
| and co-employees because it limits the amount an | | | | The California statutes of workers compensation |
| employee can claim for damages. There are laws that | | | | further necessitates the employers to get insurance, |
| eliminate the legal responsibility of fellow employees in | | | | which will encompass claims of employees for |
| case of accidents to a co-worker. The statutes in the | | | | compensation. |
| State Workers Compensation established this | | | | It is said that prevention is better than cure. |
| framework for most employment. | | | | Nevertheless, there can also be ways to make the |
| There are also federal statutes for employment that | | | | cure a little better. This could be the guiding principle of |
| covers only federal employees or those workers | | | | Workers Compensation claims. |
| employed in most major aspect of interstate business. | | | | |