In general, when you are involved in an accident, you have to hope the other person has insurance. Whether it is a car accident, an accident on someone’s property or an accident at work, you rely on the person responsible to have purchased insurance so you can get your medical bills and other costs covered by them. When it comes to workers’ compensation, states have stepped in to ensure your employer is covered. Missouri requires employers to have this insurance. However, as with any insurance, you could run into a situation where your employer does not have coverage.
If this happens to you, then you do have a chance to recoup the costs of the accident. According to Insureon, your employer is responsible for your expenses that resulted from a workplace accident. It will be fined by the state for not complying with the law. You may have to take your employer to court to recoup your expenses, but the chances are quite good the court will rule in your favor.
If you work for a small business, you could face potential problems getting what is owed to you. The fines from the state are often are thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars. This could tap out the business’ financial resources if they are really small or not established. It could cause them to file bankruptcy and close the business. At this point, you would be left going after the owners and hoping they could afford to pay you. At any rate, even if the business can afford to pay the fines and pay you, it could still put them out of business. That is why having workers’ compensation insurance is always in the best interest of everyone. This information is only intended to educate and should not be interpreted as legal advice.