What Are Your Rights If You’re Injured on a Work Trip?

For many employees, work trips are a routine part of their schedule. Visiting customers, checking in on projects, or attending professional development seminars or conferences are all part of the equation. But with these travel opportunities comes the potential for risks, including injuries.

If you get injured on a work trip, what are your rights? It’s important to be proactive about learning them in case you find yourself in a challenging situation. In this guide, we’ll outline what you should do.

Off-Site Workplace Injuries Can Happen

First, it’s important to establish that workplace injuries aren’t limited to certain industries. You may picture a forklift running into someone or an equipment-related injury at a construction site. But workplace injuries don’t just happen in the office building, warehouse, or construction site. They can happen when someone is traveling to New York for a conference or to Chicago for a client meeting. Verify with your employer that you’ll be covered for medical expenses if you’re traveling internationally and have a work-related injury. Otherwise, you can expect to pay a lot more to cover medical treatment costs.

If you’re waiting for a rideshare to a meeting, for example, you could slip on a shiny hotel lobby floor while you’re exiting the building. In doing so, you may sprain your ankle. This is a scenario where you should be covered because the incident occurred while doing something related to your job. On the other hand, if you slip and sprain your ankle or knee while wandering through a museum during downtime, you probably won’t be covered for the injury.

File a Claim for Workers’ Compensation

In the event of a workplace injury, workers’ compensation insurance may be your best bet. Employers generally must offer this, and the coverage will help with costs related to wages and treatments for your injury.

Plan on reaching out to your employer right away to file a claim. Have photographic documentation of your injury and where it happened. And have copies of medical records to help validate your claim.

Consult with your company’s HR department to make sure you’re following the right steps and staying compliant through the process. In general, workers’ compensation can take care of medical expenses. But if you’re not able to get coverage from workers’ comp, you’ll need to rely on personal insurance.

Know When to Get Legal Help

Typically, minor injuries that demonstrate obvious employer liability may be handled through HR and workers’ comp internally. But sometimes situations are not clear-cut, or you’ll be denied by your employer.

As another possibility, you may face a long-term disability as a result of an accident. Or perhaps your employer is making you return to work sooner than is healthy. These are the scenarios where you’ll want legal help.

Legal professionals can help with unique situations, like vehicle accidents, too. Maybe you’re involved in an accident while driving from the airport to a meeting. You may have been driving a rental car, and a truck crashed into it, for instance.

A specialized truck accident attorney will understand federal transportation laws and Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations. They’ll also know what is reasonable to expect from insurance. You can turn to truck accident attorneys in Oklahoma City for help navigating this situation.

Identifying Employer Responsibilities

Employers can bypass sticky situations by being proactive about addressing the potential for injuries. Employees should know what to do if they’re injured on the road, and employers should take the lead on outlining policies in their employee handbooks.

Employees will appreciate the concern for their welfare. And, as a general rule, demonstrating a higher level of professionalism can lead to better employee performance. For positions that require lots of driving, training on proper vehicle use is essential. Employees should have travel health insurance for international assignments. And employers should provide contact information for HR and other key individuals if something does happen while traveling.

Know Your Rights

Traveling for work can be an exhilarating departure from typical day-to-day responsibilities. And it can present opportunities for career growth. But even the best-planned trips can include unexpected incidents, like injuries, that add stress.

For employees, knowing their rights regarding workers’ compensation can make the recovery process better. It’s always best to advocate for your needs. And turning to legal professionals for help can ensure that you get the assistance you deserve for a speedy and low-stress recovery.