Did you know that...
The New York state legislature enacted the Workers’ Compensation Law in 1914 in response to two significant historical events the 1909 Wainwright Commission that found woefully inadequate care for injured workers and the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City that killed 146 young immigrants.
Workers’ compensation laws protect both employers and their employees. Employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance to cover medical expenses and lost wages for workers who are injured on the job. In exchange, employees cannot sue their employer.
Construction workers, like all employees covered by workers’ compensation, cannot hold their immediate employer liable for workplace injuries. If the injured worker was, however, hired by a subcontractor, the worker may sue the general contractor or building owner who commissioned the job.
The New York State Disability Benefits Law provides for the payment of cash benefits to employees who are disabled because of injuries or illnesses that are not a result of a workplace accident. This law also allows women who take maternity leave to be reimbursed for a portion of lost wages, although unlike workers’ compensation it does not cover medical expenses.
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