What Is Offsite Workers’ Comp? Your Rights When Injured Away From the Workplace

Who Might Qualify for Offsite Workers' Comp?

Offsite workers' compensation isn't some obscure corner of the law. It affects millions of workers. Employees in a wide range of industries may qualify for these benefits. 

• Remote and work-from-home employees who handle all their job duties from a home office
• Hybrid workers who split time between office and remote locations
• Traveling employees including sales representatives, consultants, and service technicians
• Construction workers who work at various job sites rather than a fixed location
• Delivery drivers and field service workers who spend most of their day on the road
• Employees attending offsite meetings, conferences, or training required by their employer

If you perform any work outside your employer's main premises, offsite workers' comp may apply to you.

When Does Offsite Workers' Comp Cover Your Injury?

Workers’ compensation covers offsite injuries when they happen in the course of your job duties, even if you weren’t on company property at the time. In short, if you were doing something for your employer’s benefit when you got hurt, your injury is usually covered.

Examples of offsite injuries that are typically covered include:

• Working from home: You trip over work equipment in your home office during work hours.
  
• Attending a conference: You slip and fall at a mandatory work seminar or training event.
  
• Meeting clients: You’re injured in a car accident on the way to a client’s office.
  
• Field service work: You’re hurt while repairing or installing equipment at a customer’s location.
  
• Running errands for work: You’re injured while picking up supplies or delivering paperwork for your employer.
  
• Temporary job sites: You’re a construction worker injured at a project site away from headquarters.

The key factor in every case is whether your activity was work-related and benefited your employer. If so, Illinois workers’ compensation law generally applies — even if the injury happened miles from your workplace.

When Offsite Injuries Are NOT Covered By Workers’ Compensation

Workers’ compensation doesn’t cover offsite injuries that happen during personal activities or while you’re off the clock. To qualify, the injury must occur in the course of employment, meaning you were performing job duties or advancing your employer’s business interests when it happened.

Common examples of offsite injuries that are not covered include:

• Your daily commute: Getting hurt while driving to or from work usually isn’t covered under Illinois law.
  
• Personal breaks or lunch: Leaving work property for your own meal or errands isn’t covered — unless you were getting food for your boss or meeting a client.
  
• Non-work tasks while remote: Working from home doesn’t make every injury work-related. If you trip while doing laundry during a workday, that’s not covered.
  
• Voluntary company events: Injuries at optional social outings generally aren’t covered, while mandatory events often are.
  
• Non-work use of company vehicles: Simply being in a company car doesn’t qualify if the trip wasn’t for business purposes.

Bottom line: If the activity didn’t benefit your employer or fall within your job duties, your offsite injury likely won’t qualify for workers’ compensation benefits.

The Special Challenges of Remote Worker Injuries

The rise of remote work has created new complexities in workers' compensation law. Remote and telecommuting workers typically are covered under workers' compensation policies if the injury or illness occurs while completing a work task during work hours. But here's the problem: In most cases, the remote worker has the burden of proof, meaning they must be able to demonstrate that they were working when the injury occurred.

Why remote work injuries are harder to prove:

• Lack of witnesses: There's no coworker or supervisor who saw exactly what you were doing when you got hurt.
• Blurred boundaries: When your home is your office, insurance companies will argue you could have been doing personal activities.
• No employer control over workspace: Unlike a traditional workplace, your employer doesn't control the physical environment where you work remotely.

These challenges don't mean remote workers aren't covered. They mean you need to be strategic about documenting your work activities and injuries.

How to Protect Your Offsite Workers' Comp Claim

If you're injured while working offsite, these hiring our workers’ compensation lawyers and following these steps can make or break your claim.

• Report the injury immediately: Illinois law requires you to report workplace injuries within 45 days, but sooner is always better. Don't wait.
• Document what you were doing: Write down exactly what work task you were performing when you were injured. Be specific. "I was reaching for client files on the top shelf of my home office" is better than "I hurt my back at home."
• Preserve evidence: Take photos of the location where you were injured, especially if it shows work materials, equipment, or anything proving you were engaged in work activities.
• Get witness statements if possible: If anyone saw the injury or can confirm you were working at that time, get their contact information.
• Keep records of your work schedule: Email timestamps, calendar appointments, and work logs help prove you were on the clock when injured.
• Seek medical attention immediately: Both for your health and for your claim. Tell the doctor you were injured while working.

What Benefits Are You Entitled To Receive for an Offsite Injury?

If your offsite injury qualifies for workers' compensation in Illinois, you're entitled to the same benefits as any other work-related injury:

• Medical treatment: All reasonable and necessary medical care related to your work injury, including doctor visits, surgery, medication, physical therapy, and medical equipment.
• Temporary disability benefits: Wage replacement if you can't work while recovering, typically two-thirds of your average weekly wage.
• Permanent disability benefits: Compensation for permanent impairment or loss of earning capacity resulting from your injury.
• Vocational rehabilitation: If your injury prevents you from returning to your previous job, you may be entitled to retraining assistance.

The insurance company doesn't automatically pay these benefits just because you're entitled to them. You need to fight for every dollar—and that's where having an experienced Chicago workers' compensation attorney becomes critical.

Why Insurance Companies Deny Offsite Workers' Comp Claims

Insurance companies frequently deny offsite injury claims. Why? Because these claims are easier to dispute.

Common tactics they use:

• Claiming you weren't actually working: They'll argue you were on a personal break or doing non-work activities.
• Questioning whether it happened during work hours: They'll scrutinize your work schedule and argue the injury occurred outside your shift.
• Arguing the injury wasn't work-related: They'll claim the injury would have happened anyway, regardless of your work activities.
• Exploiting lack of witnesses: Without coworkers present, they'll suggest you're lying about how the injury occurred.
• Pointing to your home environment: For remote workers, they'll argue your home workspace was inherently unsafe, and your employer isn't responsible.

Don't let them intimidate you. Offsite injuries are covered when you meet the legal standard, and the workers’ comp attorneys at Strong Law Offices know how to prove it.

Get a Chicago Workers' Comp Lawyer Fighting for Your Offsite Injury Claim

If you've been injured while working remotely, at a job site, or anywhere outside your employer's main location, you don't have to navigate this alone.

At Strong Law Offices, we've handled countless offsite workers' compensation claims. We know how to prove you were engaged in work activities, counter insurance company denials, and fight for the full benefits you deserve.

Call Strong Law Offices now at 309-393-2928 for a free consultation. We don't get paid unless you win your case.