Workers' Compensation Basics

In Connecticut, Workers’ Compensation is the exclusive remedy, or the only avenue of legal recovery, for people injured at work.  There may be recovery outside of workers' compensation where there is negligence by a third party, that is, someone besides the employer.  For example, if there is a work related car accident where another person is at fault. 

 

The Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Act was enacted in 1913. 

 

Workers’ Compensation benefits are available to employees and other covered individuals who sustain injuries that arise out of and in the course of their employment. The Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Act provides three main types of benefits: 1) wage replacement benefits; 2) reasonable or necessary medical care and 3) compensation for permanent injury. The statute does not provide for pain and suffering. Other benefits include: mileage reimbursement; limited scarring benefits; reimbursement for your time while receiving medical treatment in certain situations and cost of living adjustments (COLA’s) in certain situations.

 

​The Workers’ Compensation Commission is the government agency that oversees the administration of the workers’ compensation act. The Office of the Chairman is located at 21 Oak Street in Hartford, Connecticut. There are eight district offices located in:

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• Hartford,

• New Britain,

• Middletown,

• Norwich,

• New Haven,

• Waterbury,

• Bridgeport and

• Stamford 

 

     In workers' compensation there are no trials, but instead there are Informal, Preformal and Formal Hearings.  All three hearing levels are heard in the district offices by commissioners while appeals are heard by the Compensation Review Board at the chairman’s office.