Online Class: Workers' Compensation 101

no certificate
with CEU Certificate*
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13Lessons
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15Exams &
Assignments -
1,024Students
have taken this course -
5Hours
average time -
0.5CEUs
Course Description
Since as far back as Ancient Greece and Rome, there has been a system in place in all civilized societies to compensate those individuals who have become injured or disabled due to a work-related accident. The laws and regulations governing what is known today as Workers' Compensation have changed dramatically over the last 1700 years.
This course will take a close look at the entire Workers' Compensation system, from the filing of an initial claim, to a detailed look on how to choose the right doctor and lawyer, how to represent yourself in the absence of a lawyer, and, most importantly, a detailed look into the specific federal, state, and private benefits that are available to people who have become injured in their workplace.
Filing a Workers' Compensation claim need not be a daunting task. Every worker must seek the advice of qualified professionals. This course will provide an understanding of the core concepts in a Workers' Compensation claim, as well as education on where to get further information.
Being injured in the workplace can mean a significant change in one's life, and it is important to ensure that one's rights – either those of an employee or an employer – are being fully protected.
Course Motivation
The History of Workers' CompensationThe
history of Workers' Compensation dates back literally thousands of
years, to the beginning of written history. Workers' Compensation
regulation and laws appear today in virtually all industrialized nations
although laws governing workers have changed dramatically throughout
history, and the United States is certainly no exception.
The concept of Workers' Compensation can be found even in antiquity. The peoples of ancient Greece and Rome had very specific rules and regulations that outlined how people should be compensated due to injuries suffered in the course of their employment. While many people today seem to think our sets of laws and regulations are mind-numbingly precise and detailed, it should be noted that even ancient peoples had very precise schedules that governed the levels of compensation for each worker. For example, in ancient Arab law, the loss of a thumb was worth exactly one-half the value of an entire finger.
As time progressed toward the Middle Ages and feudalism became the prevailing form of government, the specificity of the ancient laws governing Workers' Compensation were replaced with a more localized system. In the Middle Ages, the fate of workers was left chiefly to the feudal lords who were to care for their workers. Each of them made up their own guidelines for the compensation of workers who suffered an injury while under their employment. Naturally, some lords were more benevolent than others and the uniformity of the ancient laws governing Workers' Compensation gave way to a more localized, and chaotic, set of rules in the Middle Ages. It was not until the Renaissance period, roughly beginning in the 14th century, that labor laws were updated to include more uniform Workers' Compensation regulations.
Beginning in the Renaissance period, and leading up to the Industrial Revolution, or approximately the late 18th century, there were three main principles that governed compensation for injured workers. These were contributory negligence, the "fellow servant rule," and the assumption of risk.
Contributory negligence meant that if a worker contributed to his or her own injury, due to careless use of a machine, for example, the employer was not responsible for the injury. This principle was intact even if the working conditions were less than satisfactory or if the worker was using particularly dangerous machinery. Similarly, if a worker was responsible for the upkeep of any machinery and responsible for maintaining its safe use, any injury due to a malfunction of such machinery could not be blamed on an employer.
The "fellow servant" rule was put in place to state that an employer was not to be held liable if an injury to a worker was due to a colleague, or a fellow worker.
The assumption of risk concept was simply that certain workers knew the inherent dangers of certain jobs. It stated that when workers signed their contracts to be employed by an employer, they released the employer from any liability resulting from an injury on the job. Employers were required to provide safety measures but, until modern times, these measures were usually wholly inadequate.
These three principles, when looked at through the context of modern history, seem extremely unfair and, indeed, they were regarded as unfair by many employees during the time periods in which they were enforced. The only recourse a worker had during these times was litigation. In those times, as well as in today's society, legal matters were extremely costly. Additionally, it was extremely difficult for a worker to win any compensation at all. Professional workers, and those with higher levels of education and money, were able to buy a primitive form of disability insurance. As more and more workers became accustomed to bringing lawsuits against their employers, many employers began to criticize the current state of laws and joined the workers in calling for reforms.
A major change in Workers' Compensation laws began in Prussia in 1871 with the passage of the Employers' Liability Law, which provided some protection to workers in certain sectors of employment. These sectors included such venues as factories and mines. The law was the initiative of Prussian Chancellor Otto von Bismarck. In future years, Bismarck also instituted such initiatives as the Workers' Accident Insurance of 1884 which is generally regarded as the first doctrine of modern day Workers' Compensation. Additionally, he started a pension system for workers who were injured in non-job related incidents. It provided a small pension for those unable to work due to an injury as well as those who were never able to work due to certain disabilities. A very important concept of these laws was the protection employers enjoyed from worker lawsuits. The state run laws provided the only recourse for workers who were injured and, in many instances, lawsuits became unnecessary.
As time progressed, countries in the West began to embrace the notion of Workers' Compensation and enacted laws that protected, in essence, both the worker and the employer. The initiative of Otto von Bismarck served as a model for these laws. In 1880, there were laws enacted in England to establish workers' rights, but they were generally regarded as inadequate. It was not until 1897 when the British Parliament passed the Workers' Compensation Act, which provided stringent laws governing workers' rights. It established the right of private companies to provide insurance for workers, unlike the Prussian model which was entirely run by the government.
The Social Security Disability Insurance, or SSDI, was the first federal program that provided workers with compensation due to injuries sustained in non-job-related incidents. Like the pension model in Prussia, it also provided for benefits for people who were never able to work due to a disability.
- Completely Online
- Self-Paced
- Printable Lessons
- Full HD Video
- 6 Months to Complete
- 24/7 Availability
- Start Anytime
- PC & Mac Compatible
- Android & iOS Friendly
- Accredited CEUs

Course Lessons
Lesson 1. The History of Workers' Compensation
Lesson 1 Video
Lesson discussions: Workers' Compensation Course; Reasons for Taking this Course
Complete Assignment: Introduction
Assessment: Lesson 1 Exam
Lesson 2. Workers' Compensation Benefits
Lesson 2 Video
Assessment: Lesson 2 Exam
Lesson 3. Filing a Workers' Compensation Claim
Lesson 3 Video
Assessment: Lesson 3 Exam
Lesson 4. Denial of Benefits and Appeals
Lesson 4 Video
Assessment: Lesson 4 Exam
Lesson 5. Medical Treatment and Choosing a Doctor
Lesson 5 Video
Assessment: Lesson 5 Exam
Lesson 6. Dealing with Attorneys and Legal Forms
Lesson 6 Video
Lesson discussions: Workers' Compensation Case
Assessment: Lesson 6 Exam
Lesson 7. Handling Your Own Case
Lesson 7 Video
Assessment: Lesson 7 Exam
Lesson 8. Preparing for a Hearing, Mediation, and Other Litigation Matters
Lesson 8 Video
Assessment: Lesson 8 Exam
Lesson 9. Financial Considerations
Lesson 9 Video
Assessment: Lesson 9 Exam
Lesson 10. Workers Compensation Fraud
Lesson 10 Video
Lesson discussions: Fraud
Assessment: Lesson 10 Exam
Lesson 11. Social Security Disability Insurance and Workers' Compensation
Lesson 11 Video
Assessment: Lesson 11 Exam
Lesson 12. Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Lesson 12 Video
Assessment: Lesson 12 Exam
Lesson 13. Americans with Disabilities Act
Lesson 13 Video
Lesson discussions: Final Course Poll - Your Opinion; Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course); Course Comments
Assessment: Lesson 13 Exam
Assessment: The Final Exam
Learning Outcomes
- Summarize the history of Workers' Compensation.
- Define Workers' Compensation benefits.
- Describe the procedures involved in filing a Workers' Compensation Claim.
- Describe Denial of Benefits and Appeals processes.
- Summarize medical treatment, and choosing a doctor.
- Summarize dealing with attorneys and legal forms.
- Summarize handling your own case.
- Summarize preparing for a hearing, mediation, and other litigation matters.
- Identify financial considerations.
- Summarize Workers Compensation fraud.
- Compare and contrast Social Security Disability Insurance and Workers' Compensation.
- Define Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
- Summarize Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
Additional Course Information

- Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
- Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
- Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online
- View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
- Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media

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No. of courses | 600+ |
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Time to complete | 24 Months |
No. of courses | 600+ |
Student Testimonials
- "A wonderfully informative class. I have learned so much that I did not know before and expanded on items that I previously worked with in the past. Thank you so much for this class. I look forward to many more." -- Deborah B.
- "I enjoyed how the course material was presented in this Workers Compensation course. The information was easy to understand, and the quizzes for each chapter helped me retain the knowledge as I moved through the course." -- Amy D.
- "This was excellent and very user friendly." -- Glen K.
- "The instructor was always prompt when grading assignments and tests. Very positive in her comments." -- Melinda G.
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