Away from Home and Hurt at Work?

For certain types of jobs, travel is unavoidable. Whether you are a truck driver on the road delivering goods or a pilot carrying passengers to their next destination, sometimes duty requires you to leave the state of Mississippi. But what happens if you get hurt while you are away from home? It depends.

First, we must understand that if you are in Mississippi when you get hurt, were hired in Mississippi, or are regularly employed in Mississippi, then coverage for your work injury usually exists under the jurisdiction of the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission. This is an administrative agency created by the Legislature to process workers’ compensation claims for all Mississippians. If someone is hurt while away from home and traveling outside the state, the injured employee must have been hired or regularly employed in Mississippi for the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission to have jurisdiction over the claim. Also, the injured workers’ jobs outside the state must be a temporary assignment and not a permanent relocation.

The Mississippi Workers Compensation Commission will look to the injured worker’s residence to determine whether coverage in Mississippi applies. Whether the work assignment was outside of Mississippi will be determinative because no jurisdiction exists if the work assignment for the injured worker was permanent.

 

If you or a loved one have questions about whether or not your work injury falls under the jurisdiction of the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Commission, call or text Chhabra & Gibbs, P.A. personal injury firm at 601-948-8005 today. Consultation is free. Everything is confidential. There is no obligation. We have a team of lawyers and staff ready to guide you through this process and ensure your rights are protected.