Employees who sustain an injury at work may be eligible for benefits under Iowa workers’ comp law. While most employees injured while working are eligible for benefits, not all workers are eligible. Iowa law exempts a few types of employees. Visit the legal advice page for more information.
The following workers are not considered employees for the purposes of workers’ comp in Iowa:
- Independent contractors
- Limited liability company members
- Proprietors
- Partners
Any worker not eligible for benefits may buy an insurance policy that includes workers’ comp.
If an employer and worker disagree about eligibility for workers' comp the Workers’ Compensation Division (WCD) steps in. The WCD determines if the worker is eligible for benefits under Iowa law. This happens if the worker files a petition to start a contested case proceeding.
Types of Injuries or Conditions Covered
An injury may include any health condition caused by work activities other than the normal building up and tearing down of body tissues. Diseases and hearing losses caused by work activities or exposures are also injuries. Preexisting health conditions are not considered injuries unless work aggravates or worsens them.
Election or Rejection of Coverage
Iowa law allows certain employees to reject workers’ comp coverage. Employees can also elect to not be covered by an employer’s workers’ comp liability insurance.
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