Missouri workers compensation laws provide monetary protection to those employees who get injured or suffer form illnesses while at job. As per the laws, in most cases of occupational injuries, it is legally mandatory for the employers to pay compensation benefits to injured workers. Employees and their family members are strongly recommended to be well aware of their legal rights in this regard.
Legal Requirements For Reporting Of Injuries
Employees must report the injuries and the details of the accidents to their employers within one month from the date of the accident. Failure to meet this requirement is likely to result in disqualification, which means you will no more be eligible to claim for monetary benefits under the Missouri workers compensation laws. In some case, the injuries do not reflect immediately after the accident. For example, there can be a situation where the workplace is exposed to certain hazardous factors and it is only at a later stage when the employee notices that he is suffering form an illness because of poor workplace condition. In a situation like this, they must report the details of the illness within thirty days that will be counted from the day when they first noticed the illness.
Waiting Period For Wage Compensation
There is a three days of waiting period as imposed by the laws. It means if the injuries are not very serious and the worker is fit enough to return to work within three days, no compensation will be rewarded to them. They cannot even demand compensation for the three days of wage loss. After three days, the employer must pay them 66 2/3rd percent of their regular wages as disability benefits. But, it is important to note that if the disability caused by the injuries continues for more than 14 days, Missouri workers compensation laws require the employers to pay wage compensation right from the first day of the accident.
Compensation For Expenses Related To Medical Treatment
The employers are also required to pay for all expenses that are related to the medical treatment of the occupation injuries. This includes compensation for transportation costs also, but only up to the 250 miles of travel related to attend medical appointments.
It is also important to note that volunteers of tax-exempt organizations, farm workers, domestic servants in a private home, and occasional labor performed in private households do not qualify for the occupational injury benefits as explained under the Missouri workers compensation laws.