If you suffer an injury or illness that results from your employment, and your employer has five employees or more, then you may be entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits. Here are five things that you need to know about your rights under the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Laws.
- When you suffer an injury or illness resulting from your employment, you should report it immediately to your supervisor or employer. Failure to report an injury can affect your ability to receive workers’ compensation benefits.
- Your medical treatment relating to your work injury or illness is covered by your employer. This can include medical treatment by physicians and at hospitals, nursing services, physical therapy, prescription medication costs, and mileage reimbursement to and from medical appointments.
- You have the right to select your own physician. You have the right to choose your own doctor and not have your Employer select your doctor. This right can be waived if you sign a Choice of Physician form for a different doctor, or doctor of the Employer’s choice; if you treat with another doctor for six months; or if you allow another doctor to perform a surgery. It is very important that you make clear that you want to pick your doctor and notify your Employer of that choice immediately after your work injury occurs.
- If a physician takes you off work for more than five days, then you are entitled to receive disability benefits. While you are not eligible to receive your full salary when you are taken off work by a doctor, you are entitled to receive 2/3 of your average weekly wage, up to the statutory maximum. In order to receive these disability benefits, your physician must take you completely off work, or give you restrictions that your employer cannot accommodate.
- There is no compensation for pain and suffering for a work injury. Unlike some other kind of lawsuits, Mississippi Law does not allow for recovery for pain and suffering for an injury suffered at work.