Yes. It is possible to collect workers’ compensation after you quit, are fired or laid off. But you may face additional hurdles to prove that you qualify for workers’ compensation.
There are usually two reasons to file a workers' comp after you leave a job:
You had an injury at work that you thought was minor but has gotten worse and now requires medical treatment. For example, you might have hurt your back at work and thought it was minor. But as the weeks go by, the injury gets worse.
You have a chronic health problem, such as a cumulative injury that you got from previous work. For example, your physician may tell you that the pain in your wrist is from a repetitive injury from your old job. It is common for symptoms for repetitive injuries to show up after you leave a job.
Meeting Deadlines to File Your Claim
Most states have strict time limits to report a work-related injury to the employer and to file a claim. The same limits are in effect whether you still are at the job or left. But some time has probably passed, so there is a chance you could miss the deadline.
That is why it is important to notify your employer as soon as possible if you are injured at work. You should give notice within 30 days after the event happened. If you did not report the injury until later, your claim will be denied, whether you are still at that job or not.
For a chronic or cumulative injury, the time period to file does not start until you first learn that your current or old job caused the problem.
You will need to have strong medical proof that your current medical problem was caused by duties at your previous employer.