If you don’t know what the WSIB is, you’re not alone. Most people we run into who have never been or had a loved one who was injured on the job don’t know what it is. However, should you ever become injured or ill as a result of your employment, you will soon find that you want to know everything you can about the WSIB. For this reason, we at the Goodman Elbassiouni LLP have decided that we would dedicate the first few blogs in our new blog series to the WSIB describing what it is, how to file a claim, how to file an appeal, and more.
What exactly is the WSIB?
The WSIB, or the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario, which was previously known as the Worker’s Compensation Board, is a board created to rule on and administer benefits to employees that become injured or ill as a direct result of their job. Whether your injuries are mental or physical; you are sick or hurt; you become injured as a result of the day-to-day movements or in a sudden accident; if you become unwell from your job, then you could be owed compensation from the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario.
Established a little over 100 years ago in 1914, this board is a direct result of the Worker’s Compensation Act, which came into effect on January 1, 1915. This Act states that:
“Where in any employment, to which this Part applies, personal injury by accident arising out of and in the course of employment is caused to a worker, the worker and the worker’s dependants are entitled to benefits in the manner and to the extent provided under this Act.”
In lamens terms, this means that if you become injured or killed on the job, you and your dependants are entitled to remuneration from your employer through the WSIB. This is important to note, because under the same Act employees were barred from suing their employers for their workplace injuries – so if you are hoping to sue your boss instead, you might need to revisit your options.
So what does this mean for you?
Since the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board of Ontario is the only way that you can get compensated for a workplace injury, this means that you are at their mercy when you become sick or hurt from work. If you misfile papers, miss their deadlines, or just generally mess up when you deal with them, you might not get compensated for your illness or injury at all. Thankfully, if the WSIB does rule against you the first time, you are still able to file an appeal against their ruling. In the event of this occurrence, we strongly recommend you give us a call and allow us to do all the heavy lifting for you. We are incredibly well versed in the processes of the WSIB and know precisely what is needed to ensure success. Let us do our job so that you can do what you need to do most: heal.
