If you live in Ontario or any other province in Canada, employers are required to provide their workers with the necessary and reasonable safe as well as healthy work conditions. However, there are certain situations in which the employer is going to fail in doing so. The result is almost always the same – an injured worker. However, in some situations the employee can still be injured even though his employer provided the necessary and reasonable effort to ensure the safety of the working conditions. These are injuries which may include particularly everything from basic orthopedic traumas to psychological issues. With this in mind, it’s important to be well aware of what happens in such situations.
What are the rights of the injured employee?
Now, typically, you should understand that the Labor Law in Canada is construed and laid out in a way which deeply benefits the employees. This is rather logical when it comes to it. The reason is simple – the legislator has decided that as the economically weaker side, employees need more protection from the law, and they are right to do so. Thus, what are the rights of an employee who has been effectively injured on the workplace? Let’s have a look:
· You can effectively file a claim for the injuries or the illness in a special worker compensation court or you can choose to go through regular industrial court.
· You have the right to visit a treating medical professional and pursue active treatment
· You are released to return to your work by a physician and you have the right to keep your job reserved.
· You have the right to short-term and long-term disability insurance coverage if you are incapable of returning to work or if you can’t work with the same effectiveness as before and this reflects on your remuneration.
· If you do not agree with the decision of your employer or his insurance company, you have the right to appeal said decision as you see fit
· You have the right to hire a lawyer to provide you with the necessary legal protection and representation
Most of the industrial injuries can be debilitating and there is loss of wages compounded by pending medical bills. Regular life goes for a toss and not just the victim but the family suffers. As you can see for yourself, there are quite a few things that an employee is capable of doing after he has been injured on the workplace. As a matter of fact, the law puts the employer in a situation in which the individual or the company doesn’t have a lot of options. However, this shouldn’t be a reason to underestimate the seriousness of the situation. Hiring a professional and experienced lawyer is something that you should emphasize on in order to ensure that you get the necessary legal protection. This is how you get the compensation that you are entitled to.
