In Massachusetts, workers’ compensation is available to most employees. In many cases, workers’ compensation is the statutorily mandated course of action in the event of an employee’s injury. However, the law has been applied differently to certain workers who are not included in the statutory definition of “employees.” Firefighters are difficult to categorize because they work for local municipalities. Many firefighters do not even receive a salary, but work as volunteers. Their work also involves high risk, and firefighters can be seriously injured while on the job. Here is how the court explains the main reasons for workers’ compensation.
Even though firefighters work under very unique circumstances, they can still receive compensation if they are injured on the job. However, workers’ compensation looks a little different for firefighters because they are usually hired by a government agency. Firefighters may be entitled to leave without loss of pay if they are injured on the job. In addition, their compensation may come from the government itself rather than a private insurance company.
What happens when a firefighter is injured while working in Massachusetts?
According to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, if you are injured on the job, you will receive medical care whether you miss work or not. The insurance company of the employee’s employer must pay all costs associated with injuries to their employees. These types of expenses will include issues such as hospitalization, surgery, doctor’s fees, prescription drugs, medical rehabilitation, and other necessary medical services. The employer must continue to pay these benefits for as long as treatment is necessary to restore the injuries. If an employee misses more than five work days as a result of a work-related injury, the employee is entitled to wage loss benefits. it is not necessary that the employee miss five consecutive days; if the employee misses five days, he or she can file a claim for loss of income.
Firefighters do not receive regular compensation. Instead, they may receive compensation under Massachusetts law. However, compensation tends to work a little differently for firefighters because they are usually hired by state or local governments. In general, firefighters who are injured on the job can leave work to recover without losing any benefits. However, unlike regular workers’ compensation, a firefighter’s injury does not have to be caused by his or her own fault.
In addition, firefighters are often paid directly by their public employer rather than by a private insurance company. This is because many government agencies are self-insured. Firefighters can receive their compensation tax-free.