Millions of Americans work multiple jobs. Some do it to make ends meet, others take on part-time work due to seasonal availability of their primary job, and others do it in hopes of being able to retire at an earlier age. Whatever your reason, know that you are among millions of workers who don’t just go to the same desk job from 9-5 each day.
Because so many people work multiple jobs, it’s not uncommon for us to get questions from clients who can no longer work one or all of their jobs as a result of a work-related injury. They have questions about their claim options and whether or not they can continue to work one of their jobs while they try to overcome the original injury. In today’s blog, we explain how the workers’ compensation process works if you have multiple jobs.
Working Multiples Jobs And Injury Compensation
If you hold multiple jobs, know that all your jobs will be taken into consideration if you suffer an on-the-job injury that leaves you with medical bills and keeps you away from one or all your jobs for a short period of time. It doesn’t matter if you were injured at your primary job or your side hustle. If you were injured during the course of your employment, you can collect compensation for all jobs that are affected by that injury.
For example, let’s say that you work full time at a construction company and you bar-tend two nights a week as well. If you suffer an on-the-job injury at either job that renders you incapable of performing either or both jobs, you can collect compensation for lost wages associated with both positions. If you slip while walking downstairs at the bar and suffer a concussion that keeps you out of work for two weeks, you can collect workers’ compensation for lost wages across both jobs for those two weeks, not just the wages you lost at the job where the injury occurred.
To do this, you’ll want to provide your workers’ compensation lawyer with financial statements and paychecks to showcase your regular income so that they can determine how much money you’re missing out on as a result of your injuries. A lost wage claim typically pays a person up to two-thirds of their lost wages, so coming up with an accurate financial picture is very important. Your hours, tips and overtime will all be used to help your lawyer determine how much money you make across all jobs you work.
A follow up question that many people have is in regards to working one job while they recover from an injury that is keeping them out of another job. For example, let’s say that an office worker also picked up a couple of shifts as a server at a restaurant each week. The worker slipped and broke their ankle while serving, but thankfully the injury doesn’t hinder them from performing their duties at the office. That worker can continue working at the office while they recover, but they can file an injury claim to offset medical expenses and lost wages from their serving job.
The key with all of these situations is to be open and honest with your workers’ compensation lawyer. We need to know about all sources of income and whether or not you are able to continue working any jobs while you are recovering. Don’t try to hide the fact that you are still working a job after an injury, because that can cause major problems for your injury claim. Be honest with your workers’ compensation lawyer, and they will make the best out of your situation.
So you can take solace in knowing that you can collect workers’ compensation for all of your jobs no matter which job you were injured at. You don’t need to be injured at your main source of employment in order to collect injury compensation for lost wages associated with that job. The process will be a little more complex, and you may run into some pushback from the workers’ compensation insurance provider, but a lawyer can help everything run smoothly.
We’ve helped clients collect compensation for lost wages from multiple jobs in the past, and we’d be happy to do the same for you in your time of need. For more information, or for help with a more standard work claim, pick up the phone and call Dean and the team at Margolis Law Firm today at (952) 230-2700.
