Answer
Well, there are a few things. First, the most basic requirement is establishing that you are an employee of the person or company where you were injured. You must show an employer–employee relationship; if you’re an independent contractor, you are generally not entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. In those cases, you may still have an injury claim if you can show a general contractor or third party caused your injury, but it would not be a workers’ comp claim. You can explore related issues such as contractor status or how off-site injuries are treated to better understand these distinctions.
If you can prove the employment relationship and provide medical evidence that you were not only injured but injured to the point of being unable to perform your full work duties, you would generally be entitled to benefits under the Act. These benefits usually do not apply unless you’ve missed more than three days of work due to your injuries. For help understanding your eligibility in more detail, you can speak with our experienced Rhode Island workers comp attorney, and you can also review our RI workers’ comp benefits for broader guidance.
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