Each state has its own Workers Compensation laws to handle claims for employees who are injured on the job.  Such laws are usually considered strict liability, meaning that fault and negligence by the employer need not be established in order to collect benefits.  However, the injury or illness has to be incurred in the course of employment for the Workers Compensation system to provide benefits to the injured worker. The following questions and answers apply to the State of Missouri Workers Compensation Act only (under the Revised Statutes of Missouri). 

1. Are there new work comp laws?

2. Will the new work comp laws affect my case?

3. How will the new workers’ compensation law affect my case?

4. What injuries are covered by the Act?

5. Is a worker entitled to benefits under the Missouri Workers’ Compensation Act for injuries that occur after performing repetitive motions in the course of their job?

6. Does a worker have a viable Workers’ Compensation claim if the worker injures a previously injured part of the body or aggravates an existing physical condition?

7. Is a worker that sustains an on the job injury entitled to compensation if the injury causes disfigurement?

8. What should an injured worker do immediately after suffering a work-related injury?

9. Can I still pursue my case if I did not give written notice to my Employer?

10. Is it important for injured workers to give an accurate and extensive description of the accident to their own medical providers?

11. What benefits are available under the Missouri Workers’ Compensation Act for a work-related injury?

12. Does an injured worker have to accept the treating doctor’s rating?

13. Does an injured worker have to file his or her Workers’ Compensation claim within a specified period of time?

14. Should an injured worker allow their employer or its Workers’ Compensation insurance company to record a statement regarding the accident?

15. Should an injured worker sign any documents for their employer or its Workers’ Compensation insurance company?

16. Should an injured worker sign a medical authorization for the Employer/Insurer?

17. Can a worker receive Social Security Disability benefits and benefits from a work-related injury? 

18. If an injured worker is approved for Social Security benefits, will it have any affect on his or her Workers’ Compensation benefits?

19. Should an injured worker apply for group health insurance benefits instead of Workers’ Compensation benefits?

20. What is a "third party case"?

21. What is the "Second Injury Fund"?

22. Why do injured workers need an attorney to handle their Workers’Compensation claim?