When are teachers’ injuries covered by workers’ compensation?

Workers’ compensation covers injuries that are related to or happened on the job. In the case of teachers, their injuries are covered by workers’ compensation if they got injured during school. But that coverage is not exclusive to just during school hours. It extends to happenings on school grounds, during school activities, during field trips, at sponsored afterschool programs, at official games, and the like. If teachers get injured during their off-hours or at unofficial events, their injuries generally are not covered by workers’ compensation.

What kinds of injuries do teachers normally sustain?

Teachers sustain a variety of injuries. For example, they often sustain stress-related, wrist, and hand injuries caused by continuous writing, electronic, and other tasks. Teachers can suffer back, hip, and/or leg injuries when they stand up for extended periods of time, and they could get injured from falling off ladders when hanging decorations, posters, and the like. In addition, gym coaches are more likely to acquire athletic-based injuries, and chemistry professors can get injured when incorrectly handling chemicals, electrical devices, fires, and the like.

Moreover, when teachers have bus duties, they could be struck by negligent drivers or pedestrians. They may also sustain injuries caused by slipping, falling, and tripping due to wet and/or muddy floors, unattended maintenance equipment, unmarked holes, and/or improperly hung stage decorations. Philadelphia teachers may also get injured when interacting with unruly or violent children, or if they are victims of a violent attack by a parent or guardian. Because teaching is a stressful job, many educators can feel pressured, stressed, and/or depressed when they have underachieving students, more paperwork to fill out, complex lessons to teach, and/or performance evaluations coming from their superiors.

If you were injured and are having trouble getting workers’ compensation, the Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorneys at Larry Pitt & Associates can help. Please contact us or call us at 888-PITT-LAW to schedule an appointment at any of our office locations serving Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, and Philadelphia Counties.