The Iowa Bar Association Young Lawyers Division recently published a brochure titled “On Your Own” Your Legal Rights and Responsabilities as an Adult. The brochure gives summaries of important legal issues which commonly effect everyday people.

The “Employment” section provides an excellent overview of Iowa’s workers’ compensation system and some basic things every worker needs to be aware of. For your convenience I have pasted the overview on workers’ compensation below. If you have had a work injury or would like more information on Iowa’s workers’ compensation system, do not hesitate to contact the Pete Leehey Law Firm.

If you are injured in the course of your employment, you are entitled to compensation and protections provided under Iowa’s Worker’s Compensation law. A compensable injury is one that interferes with a bodily function, or impairs bodily health, and that grew out of or occurred in the course of your employment. Some injuries occur over time from the accumulation of small and/or repeated actions. Others occur because of a single acute and traumatic event.All employers, no matter how small, are covered by worker’s compensation law. There are many types of benefits provided under the worker’s compensation law, including payment of medical expenses, paid leave for work time lost due to the injury and/or treatment for it, rehabilitation benefits, death benefits, industrial disability benefits, and disability benefits.

If you are injured in the course of your employment, you should immediately notify your employer of the injury and how it occurred—but do not wait more than 90 days after the discovery of your injury to report it to your employer.