Workers' Compensation vs. Personal Injury/Third Party Actions

One thing you have to remember and many people seem to forget is that Workers' Compensation is not a lawsuit.  The Workers' Compensation Claim is a Claim for insurance benefits that your employer is required to have available in case employees get hurt on the job.  Unlike Personal Injury/Third Party lawsuits, a Workers' Compensation Claim does not pay for your pain and suffering nor does it allow for punitive damages on the employer.  Negligence is not an issue.  You do not have to prove nor does it matter that your Employer was at fault or did anything wrong.  The only elements you must show is that you were injured at work, and that the injury was caused by the work you were doing, or while you were doing your regular work activities.