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Surprisingly, workers compensation laws are not universal. There are multiple loopholes and differences in the law from state to state. A few states do not even require that employers carry workers compensation at all, while others like Alaska, require workers compensation insurance when an employer has only one employee. Not knowing what is available to you in the state in which you live could result in multiple denials without the assistance of a workers compensation lawyer.
Coverage Exemptions for Domestic Servants
In most states, coverage is not required for any maids, personal chefs, personal dieticians, cooks, butlers and chauffeurs. The only exemption to this rule is if domestic servants work for an agency that sends the servants to work for others. Then the agency is required to have workers compensation because they are a business which employs more than three full- or part-time employees. If you are working as a "domestic", you are better off working for an agency than you are if you work privately for someone.
Employer Exemptions
There are all kinds of complicated employers' exemptions for workers compensation. You really do need a lawyer for your case when you consider how complicated these laws are. For example, in Kansas employers who make less than $20,000 a year, regardless of the number of employees they have, do not have to carry "occupational injury compensation insurance". This is a prime example not only of a particular state's employer exemption, but also of the alternate name of workers compensation. Farm workers, despite the hazardous nature of their employment, are also exempt under this Kansas law.
States with No Exemptions at All
Finally, there are some states where there is no employer exemptions whatsoever. Minnesota is one such state. Everyone gets workers compensation, even if they are working minors or undocumented domestic servants. All employers with at least one employee must carry workers compensation insurance in Minnesota. A few other states in the Midwest follow a very similar policy. If you work in Minnesota and have not been offered the chance to enroll for workers compensation benefits or find that your employer does not have insurance, he or she can be sued if you get hurt on the job.
Why You Need a Workers Compensation Lawyer
These laws are very complicated and confusing. If you have to relocate for work, they become more confusing because your employer is in one state while you work in another. Trying to file and resolve a workers compensation claim can be a real nightmare if you do not have a lawyer working for you. Then the only thing you have to worry about is going to court. Your lawyer deals with all of the legal issues and paperwork and resolves your claim for you. To find our more, go to a website like http://leifericksonlawoffice.net.
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