Are Parking Lot Injuries Covered By Workers’ Compensation?

If you are a Maryland employee, chances are that you are aware of workers’ compensation insurance. Nearly all Maryland employees are covered by their employer’s Maryland workers’ compensation insurance, which provides medical care and full or partial wage replacement in the event of a workplace injury. In order to receive coverage for an injury at work, it must occur in the course of your employment. While this may seem straightforward enough, there are many situations that can arise in which it is not clear whether an injury actually occurred in the course of your employment. One of these situations occurs when you are not injured in your place of employment, but rather, in the parking lot. If you have been injured at work and are struggling to get the support and compensation that you are entitled to, a Maryland workers’ compensation attorney can help you to navigate the process and get the full amount of compensation that you deserve. In this article, we will provide general information to help employees who have been injured as a result of their employment navigate their options. However, no two cases are the same. If you would like personalized feedback based on your unique case, you are encouraged to contact Berman, Sobin, Gross to schedule a consultation.

When Workers’ Compensation Covers Parking Lot Injuries

When workers’ compensation covers parking lot injuries are highly circumstance-specific, so it is important to consider exactly what happened in your case and to consult with an attorney. Some of the factors that the courts weigh in these kinds of cases are whether the parking lot was owned by the employer or was on the employers’ property, if the injury occurred while the employee was clocked in, and the circumstances surrounding the accident. If the parking lot was private property that did not belong to the employer then that would usually weigh against workers’ compensation (although this is only one factor to be considered and does not necessarily mean the injury is not work related). If the accident occurred on the employer’s property while the employee was on their way into the office, then courts generally find the accident to have occurred in the course of the  employment. The same holds true when the employee clocked out and walked straight into the employer-owned parking lot with the intention of leaving when the injury occurs. However, if you clocked out of work and left your car parked in your employer’s parking lot while you went to a baseball game nearby, and were injured when you returned at 9:00 p.m. that night, then the injury may not be covered by workers’ compensation insurance. The facts of these cases will determine the outcome – each case is different than the next. Always talk with a workers’ compensation attorney to discuss the facts of your particular situation to determine if a claim should be filed.

Talk to a Maryland Personal Injury Attorney

If you are a Maryland employee who has been injured in the workplace and you are struggling to get the compensation that you are legally entitled to, the experienced Maryland workers’ compensation attorneys at Berman, Sobin, Gross will fight to get you every penny that you deserve. Contact us today to schedule a consultation and find out how we can help you.

Resource:

wcc.state.md.us/gen_info/wcc_benefits.html