State Workers Compensation in the United States

Workers Compensation Insurance, or worker’s comp as it is commonly known, is a statutory insurance protection provided to workers who are injured in the course and scope of their employment. Workers’ Compensation is called a statutory coverage because workers compensation benefits are established by state statutes (statutory law).

Each state and territory of the United States sets its own workers’ compensation laws. Therefore, covered benefits and benefit levels differ from state to state. However, all workers compensation laws have some things in common. Generally, workers’ compensation in all states provides coverage for medical bills and lost wages for workers who are injured while on the job regardless of fault. So even if an employee is responsible for his/her injuries, workers compensation will provide benefits to the employee. In exchange, workers give up their tort claim rights. In other words, workers give up their rights to sue an employer for an injury which occurs while on the job.

Workers Compensation was intended to reduce litigation between workers and employees while guaranteeing that employees receive timely and adequate medical care as well as reimbursement for lost wages while recovering from an injury. However, many workers hire lawyers and many claims are litigated to determine the amount of benefits owed to an employee.

Since each state sets its own workers’ compensation laws and benefits, each state has its own department or division to handle its workers’ compensation program. Below are links to the departments or divisions that handle the administration of workers’ compensation for each state and territory.

Resources: State Workers Compensation Websites