Volunteering is a wonderful way to give back to your community, and it is essential for the success of a number of different activities or events. Volunteers may ensure the city marathon goes off without a hitch, donate their time at the community center or local library, or help our elections go off without a hitch. It’s wonderful that so many people are willing to donate their time without asking for anything in return, but what happens when they are injured while volunteering? Are they out of luck, or do they have compensation options? In today’s blog, we explain your options if you are injured while volunteering in Minnesota.
Volunteers And Injury Compensation
Volunteers come in all different forms, so while we don’t want to speak in definitives, we will say this – it is pretty unlikely that a standard volunteer will be eligible for injury compensation in the event they are injured during the course of their volunteer work. When it comes to workers’ compensation, an employee is eligible for compensation if they suffered a compensable injury during the course of their employment, but because volunteers are not viewed as employees in the eyes of the law, this really isn’t an option.
Similarly, to win a personal injury case, you will need to prove that someone else holds the majority of the blame for your injuries. Unless someone at the event intentionally injured you or was grossly negligent in their action or inaction, it’s unlikely you’ll be able to collect compensation for your injuries. It’s unfortunate, but the reality is that volunteering doesn’t offer the same protections as a paid employee.
Of course, there are exceptions to the rule. For starters, perhaps the volunteer work was actually a team building event through your employer. If you were being paid while you were performing this volunteer work, or your presence was required or expected, then this volunteer work would fall under the protections offered by the Minnesota workers’ compensation system.
Another potential avenue to explore is whether or not you can make a case that you actually should be classified as an employee, not a volunteer. Many volunteers receive some form of compensation for their volunteer work, whether it be reduced access fees, free meals or complimentary items. If you received remuneration for your volunteer work, consider meeting with a workers’ compensation lawyer, as you may actually have a claim that you should be protected by workers’ compensation laws.
Lastly, there are some volunteer groups that may be eligible for injury compensation given their position or the volunteer duties they are performing. For example, some volunteers who would be eligible for injury compensation include:
- Volunteer firefighters
- Volunteer paramedics
- Volunteer medical responders
- Volunteer Emergency/Natural Disaster Responders
- Volunteers with certain governmental programs
This is far from a comprehensive list, but be aware that some types of “volunteers” could qualify for injury benefits, but these are more niche or skilled volunteers rather than someone who donates their time to assist with the county fair or at their church. If you’re at all curious as to whether or not the injuries you suffered while volunteering are eligible for compensation, connect with an injury rights law firm like the team at Hey Workers. For more information, give our team a call today at (844) 439-9675.
