A work-related injury is always a hard blow to both the injured person and his or her family, especially if the person is working undocumented. This is because many employers believe that accidents at work are not so difficult to hide. Indeed, the biggest problem in obtaining compensation for injured employees is that it is impossible to prove the employer’s fault without documentation (Collie et al., 2019). In addition, an employer who hired an undocumented employee has an easier time settling with the injured person than investigating the accident. Any accident, even a minor one, can later lead to serious health problems and disability. A failure to investigate deprives the victim of the right to compensation. By hiding the accident, the employer limits the employee’s rights while depriving himself of problems.
If government agencies find out about the unofficial hiring, the employer will have to pay a hefty fine. Thus, an undocumented injured worker may face an employer’s attempt to cover up an injury. In such cases, the law can protect undocumented citizens only through medical fixation at the accident scene. Doctors who go to the aid of a person who has suffered a work-related injury must document the circumstances of the injury. Such information should be critical in court regarding compensation. After all, an employee without supporting documentation of his or her employment with that particular employer will not be able to prove that he or she was injured at a particular job. However, by having medical records showing the location of the injury, he or she will have a much better chance of receiving compensation. Thus, taking medical evidence as the key, the law will help the injured person and punish the company.
Reference
Collie, A., Newnam, S., Keleher, H., Petersen, A., Kosny, A., Vogel, A. P., & Thompson, J. (2019). Recovery within injury compensation schemes: A system mapping study. Journal of Occupational Rehabilitation, 29(1), 52–63. Web.