Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Laws: What is Covered, and What is Not?
Falling off of a ladder in a warehouse from a height; getting electrocuted while repairing an electrical socket; getting struck by a piece of moving equipment on a factory floor: these are all examples of workplace accidents that may result in serious, potentially fatal, injuries to Mississippi workers. Indeed, the workplace can be a dangerous place, and Mississippi workers are at risk of being injured or killed in many workplaces throughout Mississippi, at any given time.
Mississippi workers’ compensation laws attempt to remedy this widespread problem, by providing important financial, medical, and vocational benefits to eligible injured workers who have been injured on the job and who are unable to work. But what workplace accidents are covered under Mississippi workers’ compensation laws, and what accidents are not? To help injured Mississippi workers better understand their rights under these important laws, we answer those questions here.
An Injury that “Arises Out of” a Workers’ Employment in Mississippi
According to the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, the agency that oversees and handles injured workers’ workers’ compensation claims in Mississippi, “Any injury, however slight or serious, is covered if it arises out of the course and scope of employment. Occupational illnesses and diseases are also covered if job-related, as are work related deaths.” Simply put, in order for a workplace injury to be covered by workers’ compensation insurance, and, accordingly, for an injured worker to get benefits, the injury must have been “job-related”, meaning that it must have happened within the scope of the workers’ work for the employer.
Workplace Injuries Not Covered under Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Laws
On the other hand, injuries that occur at work that do not “arise out of the course and scope of employment” are not covered under Mississippi workers’ compensation laws. Accordingly, some workplace injuries that would likely not be covered under Mississippi workers’ compensation laws include:
- Injuries that occurred at the workplace, but were the result of being intoxicated or under the influence of drugs or alcohol (including cannabis);
- Injuries that occurred due to roughhousing, playing, or joking with other employees;
- Injuries that were intentionally inflicted upon the employee by him or herself.
Other injuries that are sustained by employees, but that did not “arise out of the course and scope of employment” may not be covered under Mississippi workers’ compensation laws. In order to determine whether your workplace accident is covered, it is best to speak with an experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyer as soon as possible about your case.
Legal Help for Injured Workers in Mississippi
If you were injured on the job in Mississippi and you are seeking workers’ compensation benefits, do not hesitate to speak with the experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyers at Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC. The experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyers at Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC are here to help Mississippi workers’ get workers’ compensation benefits due to them. Call Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC today and speak to a lawyer about your case now.
Source:
mwcc.ms.gov/pdf/WCFacts2013.pdf
