Common Questions

Although the goal is always to prevent injuries before they occur, workplace injuries will happen. Ordinarily, the only remedy for injured workers is through Workers’ Compensation. However, there are some important exceptions to this rule, more specifically explained below.

If you are injured on the job you must file for Workers’ Compensation. If your employer pays into Workers’ Compensation, you will most likely be eligible to have your injury-related medical bills entirely covered. You may also be eligible for two-thirds (2/3) of your lost wages up to the statewide average monthly wage (approximately $3700 per month) if you are unable to work as a result of the injury.

The first step to filing a Workers’ Compensation claim is to notify your employer within 72 hours of an accident. It is also a good idea to keep a list of witnesses who observed the accident and ask for witness statements immediately. You may also want to take pictures of the accident site or your injuries.

If you feel that it is necessary, you should request medical treatment from a local physician or emergency room immediately. Your employer does not have a right to accompany you into the examination room or to refuse your request to seek medical treatment! Never accept under-the-table offers of cash or other benefits in exchange for not filing for Workers’ Compensation.

At the hospital or doctor’s office you may be given paperwork to file a Workers' Compensation claim. You must file a Workers' Compensation claim within ten days. If for some reason you are unable to do so, you should still attempt to file later, as the Department of Workforce Services has discretion to accept a late claim.

Steps to filing for Workers’ Compensation

1. Seek the medical attention that you feel is necessary. Remember: Your employer does not have the right to accompany you into the examination room!
2. Notify your employer within 72 hours of the accident.
3. Keep a list of witnesses and ask for witness statements.
4. Do not give into any pressure or intimidation not to file. Do not accept any under-the-table offer!
5. File a Workers’ Compensation claim within 10 days!

Your employer cannot fire you because you filed for Workers’ Compensation. However, your employer can most likely fire you after you have filed for Workers’ Compensation if you are injured and unable to perform you job. If you think you were fired because you filed for Workers’ Compensation, you may have a civil claim against your employer. This means that you can consult with and hire a private lawyer and file a civil complaint against your employer to recover damages such as lost wages.

It is fraudulent for your employer to encourage you not to report a workplace injury or to interfere with your right to file for Workers’ Compensation benefits. Employer fraud can be reported to the Department of Workforce Services online or through the fraud telephone hotline at: 1 (888) 996-9226.

Workers’ Compensation provides a variety of benefits to workers who suffer a workplace injury. A general overview of the various benefits is provided below.

Medical benefits:
Workers’ Compensation will pay for all medical care directly related to a workplace injury. Upon submitting a claim, an injured worker will be issued a case number. This number should be given to all health care providers, including pharmacies, in order to ensure accurate billing for the claim.

1. You have the right to choose your own primary care provider.
2. Your employer or Workforce Services may request that you see a specific doctor for a second opinion. In this case you may be eligible for a travel reimbursement.
3. You will be reimbursed for travel to the closest available medical provider unless the closest available medical provider is located less than ten miles away.
4. Workers’ Compensation pays medical providers according to a set fee schedule. Medical providers within Wyoming may not bill you for excess charges, however medical providers out of-state may bill YOU for charges in excess of what Workers’ Compensation will pay.
5. For more information on medical benefits covered by Workers’ Compensation, click here.

Temporary Total Disability Benefits (“TTD”):
Injured workers who are unable to work may be eligible for Temporary Total Disability Benefits (TTD) to make up for lost wages. A separate application is required to apply for these benefits. TTD will pay an injured worker two-thirds (2/3) of their gross monthly income at the time of their injury. The maximum benefit, however, is limited to the statewide average wage for the month of the injury. TTD benefits will increase by 3% if all medical care is provided in Wyoming.

Permanent Partial Impairment:
Injured workers may receive monetary compensation for a permanent physical impairment if they are unable to fully recover. This benefit essentially pays you for your continued physical limitations. For more information on the Permanent Partial Impairment benefit and how it is calculated, click here.

Permanent Partial Disability/ Vocational Rehabilitation:
If you have a permanent injury, you will also be eligible for benefits that cover the economic impacts of your injury. These benefits may be available through Permanent Partial Disability or Vocational Rehabilitation, however you cannot receive both benefits. Vocational Rehabilitation is a program designed to help you return to work. Permanent Partial Disability is compensation for the difference between your current earning capacity and your earning capacity before the injury. Click here for a more detailed description of these two programs.

You become eligible for the Permanent Partial Disability benefit if you cannot return to work at a comparable salary to what you earned before the injury, in any occupation. You become eligible for Vocational Rehabilitation if your injury prevents you from returning to work in a field that you were employed in during the three-year period before your injury.

Permanent Total Disability:
If your workplace injury permanently prevents you from future employment, you may be eligible for a Permanent Total Disability award. This is a monetary benefit that is calculated to make-up for your very serious injury and lost earning capacity. Click here for more information.

Death Benefits:
If an employee is killed in a workplace accident, his/her spouse and dependent children may be eligible for a death benefit. This will be a monetary award equal to a percentage of the worker’s wages, which will be paid for 100 months following the incident. Click here for more information on Death Benefits.

In addition to Workers’ Compensation, a claim may be available against a co-employee if the injury is caused by their willful or wanton misconduct. This is an incredibly difficult standard to prove because you have to show that your co-employee’s behavior went far beyond negligence and approached intentional conduct. A claim against your co-employee would be a civil claim, meaning you will have to hire your own attorney and pursue any rights you may have in court.

You may have a civil claim, in addition to Workers’ Compensation, if a third party caused your injury. A third party is someone other than your employer or your co-employees. For example, if you are driving in the company truck and truck that is not owned by a completely different company rear-ends you, you may have a claim against the owner and/or operator of that truck.