While factors and legalities are considered when determining the eligibility of an employee for Workers Compensation, there are four main boxes to check: the injured must be an employee, the employer must carry Workers Compensation Insurance, the injury must be work-related, and the claim must be filed by a particular deadline.   First, a worker may not always be considered an "employee." A worker's title may be employee, statutory or temporary, all with differing eligibility. Employees are fully eligible for benefits. Statutory workers include independent contractors and may be entitled to some reimbursement. Temporary workers are entitled to benefits, though they are provided through the employment agency.   Volunteers are not usually permitted coverage; however, specific fields and organizations gain access to these benefits, such as the peace corps or a fire department. Aside from these categories, certain employees have particularized rules of eligibility. For example, domestic workers are usually not covered by Worker's Compensation as they work in private homes.   Farmers and agricultural workers may be exempt from benefits in certain states, generally if they are small businesses. Leased or loaned employees are typically covered, but the group supplying the Compensation needs to be identified. Lastly, undocumented workers are fully entitled to benefits regardless of their citizenship status in most states. The next pillar of eligibility to consider is if the employer is insured.   Regulations requiring insurance vary state to state, though most employers are covered by Worker's Compensation, regardless of laws. If you and your employer have coverage, it is crucial that you file the appropriate claim on time. Many employees with occupational injuries do not receive the benefits they are entitled to because they do not file a claim by the deadline.   A trauma claim must be filed within 30 days of the injury. The deadline for an occupational disease claim is within three years of your awareness (within appropriate measures) of the health concern.