Anyone can get injured at work, and as long as you are employed by a company, you should have the right to compensation for your injury.
Many undocumented immigrants in the state of New York get injured every year. There is a great deal of confusion as to where the law stands on undocumented immigration and workers’ compensation. It is vital that, as an injured worker, you take the time to understand your rights so that you can stand up for yourself.
Getting injured in the workplace, especially when you work in agriculture or in construction, has the potential to change your life forever. Injuries can affect you in a number of ways, not least because you have become physically compromised either temporarily or permanently. The medical bills you are likely to pay after an accident can have large implications for your finances, and when your injury leaves you unable to work, you will lose wages.
How can workers’ compensation help me financially as an undocumented immigrant?
Workers’ compensation has been designed to help workers with these unforeseen costs. When an injury has been reported in good time, and when the injury was caused when conducting work-related activities, the compensation program will reimburse workers to the sum of all of the medical costs that they had to pay, and will contribute a certain percentage of the wages that were lost due to taking unpaid leave.
If you find yourself permanently disabled and unable to work after the injury, workers’ compensation will help you with financial benefits.
All states in the country with the exception of Wyoming allow undocumented immigrants to claim workers’ compensation. This is because the law in most states makes the employer responsible for dealing with the incident, regardless of whether the employee was employed lawfully or unlawfully.
If you are an injured worker and an undocumented immigrant in the state of New York, you should stand up for your right to claim workers’ compensation. It is important, however, to conduct thorough research so that you understand how the law works in your particular case.