Workers’ compensation is a no-fault insurance system to cover lost wages and medical treatment for workers who are injured on the job.

According to Arizona law, employers need to carry workers’ compensation coverage if they employ 1 or more people, either part-time or full-time.

Here is a look at the different categories of employees who are covered under the workers’ compensation laws in Arizona.

According to Arizona’s Workers’ Compensation Act, workersare eligible for workers’ compensation insurance as long as they are in service to an employer at the time of injury.This means part-time workers are also entitled to work comp benefits if they are injured while executing work-related duties.

Independent contractors are not employees, so employers are not legally required to provide independent contractors with work comp benefits if they are injured on-the-job.

However, if an employee is mislabeled as an independent contractor, they may be wrongly denied of their benefits. An experienced workers’ compensation attorney can help you in such cases by considering the following factors:

• How was the injured person paid?
• What level of control did the employer have over the worker?
• Who supplied the worker’s tools and equipment and determined the worker’s hours?
• Who decided the manner of execution to complete the job?

A sole proprietor is owned and operated by a single person. Such a business does not have any employees, and is not required to carry workers’ compensation insurance.

However, if the owner of a sole proprietorship hires a part-time or full-time employee, they need to provide workers’ compensation insurance coverage to this employee.

Corporations and LLCs are considered employers and need to carry workers’ compensation coverage.Employees of corporations and LLCs also include officers, directors, shareholders, members or managing members.

Workers’ compensation also covers state employees who may be injured at work in the course and scope of their employment. State employees cannot reject workers’ compensation benefits. State employees include the following –

• Employees in the service of the state or a town, municipal corporation, city, county or school district
• Police officers
• Firefighters
• Regular members of a volunteer sheriff’s reserve
• Regular members of volunteer fire departments
• Public safety reserve members
• Members of the Arizona Army National Guard
• People who participate in a search or rescue operation or training operation assigned by the Division of Emergency Management
• Employees who are placed in on-the-job-training or on-the-job evaluation positions pursuant to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program or vocational rehabilitation program

Volunteers are typically not covered under Arizona’s workers’ compensation insurance, but the following are exceptions –

• volunteer firefighters
• volunteerswho work at a licensed health care institution
• personnel, who participate in emergency management training

To learn more about Phoenix workers’ compensation attorney, consult the best workers’ compensation lawyers in Phoenix, AZ, call Arizona Injury Law Group at 602-346-9009 right away.