Almost all employees are covered by workers’ compensation insurance. You need to suffer a work-related injury or illness, or be a dependent of a worker killed on the job, to get workers’ compensation benefits.
Workers’ compensation pays medical bills related to the injury or illness, pays for lost wages, and in some cases provides vocational rehabilitation for workers who qualify. The Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA) oversees the workers’ compensation system in Massachusetts.
What to know
You must be disabled for 5 full or partial calendar days to file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits.
- The days don’t need to be consecutive
- You have 4 years from the date of injury or realization that your injury or illness is work-related to file a claim
If you are disabled for less than 5 full or partial calendar days, you can file a “medical only” claim.
- Medical only claims are reported to your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer, not the DIA
If the insurer denies your claim for benefits, even medical only claims, you can appeal it to the DIA.