Question: What injuries are covered by worker’s compensation?
Answer: Those injuries that arise out of employment relationship. See below. The claimant bears the burden of proving a right to compensation under the Worker’s Compensation Act. An injury “arises out of” employment when a causal nexus exists between the injury sustained and the duties or services performed by the injured employee. An accident occurs “in the course of employment” when it takes place within the period of employment, at a place where the employee may reasonably be, and while the employee is fulfilling the duties of employment or while engaged in doing something that is incidental thereto. Both requirements must be met before compensation is awarded, and the person seeking compensation bears the burden of proving both elements. The Act is liberally construed to accomplish the purpose for which it was enacted, and that employment necessarily includes a reasonable amount of time and space before and after ceasing actual employment. Without more, accidents that occur during the period of travel to or from work are not recoverable under the Act. However, courts have created a public policy exception to the rule to extend coverage of the Act to those accidents resulting from employees’ ingress to or egress from their employer’s operating premises or extensions thereof.