Workers’ compensation is required in Missouri for most employers. You have probably heard of it before. It offers coverage for you if you are injured at work. It may pay medical bills and provide you with replacement income if you cannot return to work. One thing you may not know is how this program originated and how it was created within our country.
The Social Security Administration explains that workers’ compensation as it is now in the U.S. is largely based on programs from other countries. These countries treatment of injured workers providing the U.S. with the motivation to offer something similar here. However, these programs are not run by the federal government. They are administered by each state, so the rules vary from state to state and coverage may also vary.
These programs first started around 1910, but it wasn’t until much later when most states adopted them. Workers’ compensation was seen as beneficial for everyone and better than having no coverage at all. They helped save money and increase worker productivity. The enacting of the programs was not always easy because there were different ideas from both sides, but eventually, workers’ compensation became standard.
The backbone of workers’ compensation in every state is that it is a no-fault system. This means that employees do not have to prove the employer was at fault for an injury, but they also have no rights to privately sue the employer. This allows for employees and employers to be protected. This information is for education and is not legal advice.