We Work Hard For Injured Workers

Helping Iowa Education Workers Pursue Relief After Workplace Injuries

Last updated on March 17, 2025

Education employees shape the lives of students and the future of our communities. Unfortunately, these workers face serious injury risks when serving this crucial role. Whether you’re a teacher, coach, administrative worker, custodian or bus driver, we are here to support you. Based in Cedar Rapids, we at Wertz Law Firm, P.C., help employees of public and private schools at all levels in Iowa pursue workers’ compensation benefits when they have suffered injuries on the job.

Wherever you are in the state, our experienced workers’ compensation attorneys stand ready to provide you with the experienced and compassionate advocacy you deserve after school-related workplace injuries. Get in touch with us today at 319-774-2687 or by email. We offer free workers’ compensation consultations.

Understanding Common School Injuries

Educational environments can make for unpredictable workplaces. Many different hazards can arise. Given this, the range of injuries teachers and other education workers can suffer is quite wide. Common examples include:

Slip and falls: Schools’ bustling nature can lead to wet floors, loose carpets, cluttered hallways, and other tripping and slipping risks. Dangerous fall accidents can result, causing fractures and other serious injuries.
Gym injuries: Accidents can occur during practices, games and other physical activities that occur in school gymnasiums. Such incidents can expose physical education teachers, coaches and other school staff to shoulder injuries, strains, traumatic brain injuries and other harms.
Assault injuries: Unfortunately, schools can sometimes be sites of violence. Education workers may face physical harm from altercations with students or confrontations with parents.
Repetitive stress injuries: Tasks like typing and grading papers have the potential to cause painful physical damage to your body over time. Carpal tunnel and other repetitive motion injuries could severely impact your ability to perform daily tasks.
Lifting injuries: Mishaps related to lifting heavy materials, equipment, or classroom furniture could lead to a range of injuries, including back pain and hernias.
Field trip injuries: While educational trips offer valuable experiences for students, they can also expose teachers and staff to unfamiliar environments that can come with their own unique safety risks. Accidents can arise, resulting in anything from minor scrapes to life-changing injuries.
Motor vehicle accident injuries: Bus drivers and staff with transportation duties can end up in traffic accidents in connection to their jobs. Getting immediate medical attention can be crucial after such crashes.

Our workers’ compensation lawyers have a deep dedication to meeting the unique needs of injured education workers. When you have suffered injuries in incidents like those mentioned above, our goal is to secure the workers’ compensation benefits you need to restore your health and get back to pursuing your professional goals.

Are School Injuries On The Rise?

In recent years, the level of injury risk for education workers in the U.S. has fluctuated quite a bit. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics:

In 2020: There was a decrease in the workplace injury and illness rate among educational services workers as compared to 2019.
In 2021 and 2022: The trend reversed, as the rate of injury/illness among such workers went up in both years.
In 2023: There was another shift, with the injury and illness rate going down again.

This underscores that the workplace safety situation at schools can see a fair amount of movement, with a myriad of different factors playing a role in what it is at any given time.

Violence In Schools

One area where school workers face significant risks is workplace violence. According to Bureau of Labor Statistics numbers, in 2021 and 2022, education services workers experienced a much higher rate of injuries related to such violence than the general U.S. workforce. Specifically, the rate for education workers was 8.4 workplace violence injuries resulting in missed work/transfers/restrictions per 10,000 full-time workers, compared to just 2.9 injuries per 10,000 for all industries.

When students, parents or other individuals bring guns, knives or other weapons into schools, the results can be catastrophic. It can lead to major incidents that take a severe physical and emotional toll on education workers. Effective school safety policies and crisis response plans can be key in reducing the risks for both school staff and students.

Do Education Workers Qualify For Workers’ Compensation?

Here in Iowa, workers’ compensation is a system that aims to protect employees who are hurt at work. Education workers in the state, whether they are employed by a public school or private organization, generally do qualify for benefits under this system. When you have suffered on-the-job injuries at a school or other educational workplace, our team is here to help you understand your workers’ compensation rights.

What Injuries Can You Receive Workers’ Compensation Benefits For?

Generally, as long as a school injury is work-related, it is eligible for workers’ compensation benefits in Iowa. This includes injuries that occur from a single accident and those that develop over time. Education employees can also receive workers’ compensation benefits for occupational illnesses arising from their work environment. Our workers’ compensation lawyers can answer any questions you have about the eligibility for benefits for the particular injury or illness you have sustained.

What Types Of Workers’ Compensation Benefits Are Available?

There is a wide range of workers’ compensation benefits injured education workers could potentially receive here in Iowa, including:

Medical treatment: Coverage of the bills for reasonable treatment of a workplace injury
Temporary disability: Payments for lost wages for a temporary period of missing work or taking lower-paying work
Permanent partial disability (PPD): Payments for an injury that causes a lasting impairment, impacting an employee’s ability to complete required tasks
Permanent total disability (PTD): Payments for an injury that leaves the worker unable to complete any type of task, requiring the worker to leave the workforce
Healing period: Payments when an injury has resulted in a permanent impairment
Vocational rehabilitation: Training programs for workers who can’t hold gainful employment because of an injury

Which particular workers’ compensation benefits you might qualify for depends on your circumstances. Our workers’ compensation attorneys can help you understand your options and pursue the financial relief you need to move forward from your injury.

What About Travel Expenses?

Depending on where you live and the nature of your medical care needs, you might have to travel quite a bit to receive appropriate treatment for your injuries. Under Iowa workers’ compensation law, employers are required to cover necessary and reasonable travel costs related to medical care for work injuries. Our workers’ compensation lawyers can help you with pursuing proper travel reimbursement payments.

Does Your School Need To Have Been At Fault?

In Iowa, workers’ compensation operates as a no-fault system. This means you do not need to prove that your school was responsible for your injury in order to get workers’ compensation benefits. Rather the main thing you need to show is that the injury was connected to your work. Our attorneys can assist you with gathering information and evidence to support your workers’ compensation claim.

Do You Have To Use FMLA Leave While You’re Off Work With An Injury?

The answer depends on your employer’s policies. In Iowa, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) leave can run concurrently with workers’ compensation absences for qualifying conditions. Your employer’s specific leave policies will dictate whether this is required in your particular situation. Our workers’ compensation attorneys can help you understand what requirements you are subject to and what rights you have when taking an absence in connection to a school-related workplace injury.

Do You Get To Pick Your Doctor?

In most cases, no. In Iowa, when it comes to medical treatment provided under workers’ compensation, your employer generally gets to select the physician.

What If You Have Problems With The Physician Your Employer Selected?

You do have options if you feel that the doctor your employer chose to treat your school-related workplace injury is not the right fit for your care needs. Specifically, you can request that your employer select an alternate provider. If your employer refuses this request, you have the option to petition the state for a change. Our workers’ compensation attorneys understand the intricacies of disputes related to doctor selection, and can advocate for your rights and well-being.

What If Your Workers’ Compensation Claim Is Denied?

From an alleged lack of sufficient information to assertions that an injury wasn’t related to work, there are various reasons why an education employee’s workers’ compensation claim might be denied. It is important to note that denial does not mean that all hope is lost. There is an appeals process in place for challenging a refusal of workers’ compensation benefits. Our team knows what is needed to successfully navigate this process and is here to guide you through every step of seeking the relief you deserve.

How Much Does A Skilled Workers’ Compensation Attorney Cost?

Work injuries can give rise to a lot of stress about financial matters. So it’s natural you may have worries about how much getting the legal help you need after a school-related workplace injury may cost. Thankfully, you can get skilled workers’ compensation guidance and support without having to pay anything in advance. At our firm, initial consultations are completely free. Also, our workers’ compensation attorneys use a contingency fee system for our legal services. Under this system, we take our fees out of your final recovery. This means you only pay us if we get you workers’ compensation benefits.

Contact Us Today For Your Free Consultation

Get dependable guidance on your workers’ compensation options and rights. Contact us now to schedule a free consultation on your school injury case. You can reach out through email or by calling 319-774-2687.