In 2014, in the state of Mississippi, there were 11,003 workers’ compensation claims which caused workers to miss at least five days of work. Females reported fewer claims in the state than males (40.1 percent as compared to 59.9 percent). More workers’ comp claims were filed in Mississippi in the month of October than in any other month and on Tuesdays than on any other day of the week. 

Many Americans are woefully uninformed regarding workers’ compensation claims, particularly in relation to third party claims. Consider the following two scenarios:

• You are on the job as a driver for a major package delivery company, sitting in traffic, waiting for the traffic light to change. A truck rear-ends you, causing neck and back injuries. Your injuries are severe enough to prevent you from returning to work for at least a few weeks. Since you were injured while on the job, you can file a workers’ compensation claim which will cover your medical expenses as well as provide temporary disability benefits while you are unable to work. This sounds well and good, however it is unlikely your workers’ comp benefits will provide you a comparable salary—in general you will receive 60 percent or 2/3rds of your normal salary. This can be devastating for most all working families who live paycheck to paycheck. In this particular instance, you may also be able to make a third-party personal injury claim outside the workers’ compensation system, seeking compensation for your injuries and lost wages.
• You are on the job at the factory where you have worked for more than a decade. While working on a particular piece of machinery, you are injured seriously enough to result in significant medical expenses and you are expected to be off work for at least several months. Since you were injured on the job, you can file for workers’ compensation benefits and will receive medical expenses and temporary disability benefits—again, these benefits will be approximately 2/3rds of your normal salary. If it is later found the machine had a design flaw which caused your injury, you may be able to file a third-party claim against the manufacturer of the machine in order to seek compensation for your injuries and lost wages.