If you work as a contract worker for a U.S. company and you get injured on the job, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation in spite of your official worker status.

Since the mid-nineties, more and more American companies have redefined the status of large segments of their work force, primarily to save money on employee benefits, workers compensation insurance premiums, and the employer’s share of social security and Medicare taxes. Thousands for workers suddenly found themselves without Health insurance and under the obligation to pay not only their own payroll taxes but the portion formerly paid by their employers.

In response, the federal government issued stricter guidelines for defining employee status. Essentially, if you are required to show up for work on a specific schedule, if you are required to perform specific tasks in a way defined by your employer, and if you cannot turn down an assignment without risking your job, you probably should be classified as an employee and not a contract worker.

If you are injured on the job and you’re not sure, as a contract worker, that you are eligible for workers’ compensation, contact a law firm specializing in workers’ comp cases. A seasoned attorney with experience in worker’s injury cases should be able to check federal and state laws and not only challenge your official worker status, but get you the compensation you need.