How Does Workers’ Compensation Work if I Work from Home?

You may feel safest in the comfort of your home. But if your place of residence also doubles as your designated workplace, you may experience a work-related injury within these four walls. Because the lines are kind of blurred here, you may be unsure whether to even bother your employer with filing a workers’ compensation claim for your subsequent medical bills and lost wages. Well, for this, please read on to discover whether workers’ compensation applies if you work from home and how one of the seasoned Illinois workers’ compensation benefits lawyers at The Law Firm of Kevin A. Moore can help you make a solid attempt to get recovery. 

How does workers’ compensation work if I work from home in Illinois?

You may be surprised to learn that Illinois’ workers’ compensation laws generally protect employees regardless of where their work is performed, even if it is in their residential home. The universal guideline here is that an injury is covered so long as it arose out of and in the course of employment. Below are common examples of when these benefits may apply, one of which may relate closely to your accident event:

• You may have slipped, tripped, and fallen over your work equipment during work hours.
• You may have symptoms of carpal tunnel syndrome from typing during work hours.
• You may have chronic back pain from improper ergonomics in your home office setup. 
• You may have gotten a serious electric shock from employer-provided office equipment.
• You may have injured your back from lifting a box of files or setting up work equipment.

How do I prove my injury happened while working from home?

Unfortunately, as a remote worker attempting to file a workers’ compensation claim, you may have an easy target on your back, so to speak. This is because it is likely that, without even an effort to investigate the situation further, your employer’s insurance carrier will allege that your injury is household-related rather than work-related. It may be your word against theirs. 

This is why it is so important to gather sufficient evidence to support your claim. While you may not be surrounded by coworkers when working from home, you may have family members who witnessed your accident or observed your work-related injury develop over time. So, you may ask them to offer written testimonies on your behalf. 

Similar to what you would do when getting injured on someone else’s premises, you would take yourself to immediate medical attention following your work-related accident at home. Here, your treating physician may produce medical records that explain how your injury is work-related, along with its severity and effect on your work capabilities moving forward.

Lastly, as a remote worker, your most utilized form of communication is likely e-mail or professional messaging platforms. Well, you should continue to utilize these tools when reporting your work-related accident and injury to your employer. That way, there is documented proof of and time logs of your due diligence.

Having to deal with these legal responsibilities can be exponentially more challenging if you are simultaneously suffering from physical injuries. So please allow us to take control of the situation on your behalf. Schedule your free initial consultation with one of the competent Illinois workers’ compensation benefits lawyers from The Law Firm of Kevin A. Moore.