Special situations — the edge-case questions.

No — you usually have more options, not fewer. Most states run uninsured-employer funds that pay claims and then chase the employer; suing the employer directly becomes possible (they typically lose their usual defenses); and in construction, liability often climbs to the general contractor. Uninsured operation is also a crime in many states — agencies take these reports seriously. Report the injury in writing regardless, and get a consultation fast.

Often yes — the "coming and going" rule excludes ordinary commuting, but employer-controlled premises (their lot, their walkways) commonly count as work, especially en route to clock in. Details decide these: whose lot, required parking, hazards the employer controlled. Report it as a work injury and let the analysis happen — don't self-reject at the door.

The classic law-school question, with a real test: how work-connected was the event? Required attendance, on-premises, employer-sponsored, business woven in — these push toward coverage; purely voluntary, off-site socializing pushes away. States split on the close calls. Report it, describe the event's work-connection precisely, and treat a denial as the beginning of the analysis, not the end.

Remote work is covered work — the same "arising out of employment" test applies to your home office. Tripping over the dog on a personal errand mid-day: hard. Injured performing work tasks in your workspace during work hours: genuinely claimable, and increasingly common. Documentation matters more at home (no witnesses): report immediately, describe the work task precisely, photograph the scene.

In nearly every state, undocumented workers are covered — courts have repeatedly held comp protects everyone whose labor the system benefited from, and interpreters are your right at exams and hearings. Nuances exist (a few states limit specific wage benefits; never provide false documents in claim paperwork), and fear is the real enemy insurers count on. Report, treat, and consult — nuestra sección en español covers this in depth.

Yes, possibly in the worker's favor: minors injured while employed in violation of child-labor laws (prohibited equipment or hours) receive enhanced benefits in several states — sometimes double — and claim deadlines are commonly extended until adulthood. Involve a parent/guardian, report normally, and mention the age and duties in any consultation: this is a specialty fact pattern lawyers want to hear.

Death benefits exist in every state: percentages of wages for dependents, burial costs, with their own filing deadlines that grief makes easy to miss. The immediate moves: report the death to the employer formally, request the claim forms for dependents, don't give recorded statements amid shock, and involve counsel early — fatal-claim values, third-party angles (equipment, other companies), and OSHA findings all deserve professional attention. Our condolences; the system genuinely owes the family here.

Partially — you're under different systems: federal civilian workers under FECA (OWCP claims), railroad workers under FELA (fault-based lawsuits, not comp), seamen under the Jones Act, longshore workers under the LHWCA. Principles travel (document, deadlines, honesty); the specific rules don't. Search those acronyms plus your situation, and use lawyers who work those systems specifically.

Not automatically — exceptions exist everywhere (employer knowledge, gradual injuries with discovery rules, good cause), and several states' clocks run from events other than the injury (last payment, denial dates). What's true: every week makes it harder. Report in writing today, gather what proof exists (texts, coworkers, medical visits), and take the specific dates to a free consultation — check your state's clocks first so you walk in informed.

Yes, when a third party shares fault — the other driver, a defective machine's maker, another contractor on site, a negligent property owner. Comp pays regardless of fault; the lawsuit adds damages comp never covers (pain and suffering). They coordinate: the comp insurer typically gets reimbursed from the recovery (subrogation), which is exactly the math attorneys manage. Serious injuries always deserve the question "was anyone else responsible?"