Even though you may have been paid in cash by the hour to perform maintenance, carpentry, home repair--whatever your trade may be--you may very well have the right to file a Workers Compensation claim if you get hurt at work.
If the employer is providing you with many of the materials and/or equipment, directing and supervising your work and setting your hours, Workers' Compensation laws say that they are technically your employer, even if they want to call you an "independent contractor," and they have to pay for any of your medical expenses should you get hurt on the job. They would also have to pay you 2/3 of your average weekly wage during the period of time you are unable to work.
These days, some employers try to avoid paying their people health insurance and employment taxes by calling their employees "independent contractors." Don't let the label confuse you. Your workers' compensation rights do not depend on any such designation. The Chicago workers' compensation attorneys at Peter Higgins Law have successfully prosecuted claims on behalf of persons who have signed a document indicating they are an "Independent Contractor."
Bottom line is that the actual relationship between worker and employer is the basis for whether a court will deem a worker to be an employee or independent contractor. Of all the factors evaluated by the court, the single most important is whether the employer can control the "means and methods" by which work is performed. If you have further questions about getting hurt on the job as an independent contractor, contact our law firm to talk to one of our attorneys.