Workers' compensation explained, one state at a time

The short version

Workers' compensation is a trade written into state law. Injured workers get medical care and wage benefits without having to prove the employer was at fault. In return, they generally cannot sue the employer for the injury. Each state writes its own version, and each one runs it through its own agency.

That is why this site is built state by state. A rule that is true in Ohio, where most employers buy coverage from a state fund, may not be true in Florida or Georgia. Each state guide names the agency, cites the statute, and links to the official source.

What this guide set answers

• 01

  What is workers' compensation and how does it work?

  The no-fault trade, who runs it in each state, and an index of state guides.

• 02

  How does workers' comp work in Ohio?

  Ohio's state-fund system, cited to the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation.

• 03

  How does workers' comp work in Washington State?

  The state fund run by the Department of Labor and Industries.

• 04

  How does workers' comp work in Georgia and North Carolina?

  Two board-run systems, cited to the State Board and the Industrial Commission.

• 05

  How does workers' comp work in California and Pennsylvania?

  Two large systems with their own forms and judges, cited to each state's agency.

• 06

  How does workers' comp work in Colorado, Virginia, Illinois and Arizona?

  State guides cited to each state's commission or division.

Each answer is general information about how the system works. It is not legal advice, and reading it does not create a lawyer-client relationship. For your own claim, talk to a lawyer licensed in your state.