When at work, employees should be engaged in the task at hand and be concentrating on the work that they have to do. If an employee becomes injured while engaging in a work-related task and damages occur, they will have the right to claim workers’ compensation as a result.
Workers have the right to claim workers’ compensation even if the reason why they became injured was that they made a mistake. However, if it is believed that the employee was engaging in horseplay when they became injured, they may not be able to successfully gain compensation.
What is the definition of horseplay?
Horseplay is loosely defined as engaging in any activity that was not related to the task at hand. In many cases, employers may accuse an employee of engaging in horseplay to avoid having a workers’ compensation claim filed. Horseplay can count as any action that is playful or irrelevant to getting the job done, and it may have been actively unsafe.
How can I prove I was not engaging in horseplay?
If you believe that the action that led you to become injured was not horseplay, you should take action to assert your rights. By gaining statements from witnesses who were at the scene when you became injured, you may be able to add weight to your claim. If security cameras were in place in your working environment, these may also be used as evidence.
Failing to gain workers’ compensation could severely affect you financially. This is why it is so important that you take early action to fight for your rights and prove that you have a valid claim.
