Before workers compensation statutes were established, what was required for employees to recover damages for work-related injuries?

Before the establishment of workers' compensation statutes, employees seeking to recover damages for work-related injuries were required to prove that their employer was negligent. This meant that injured workers had to demonstrate that their employer failed to provide a safe work environment or did not adhere to safety regulations, leading to the injury. This requirement placed a significant burden on employees, as they often faced challenges in gathering evidence to support their claims and had to engage in potentially lengthy legal battles to prove negligence. Workers' compensation systems were introduced to simplify this process, allowing employees to receive benefits for work-related injuries without the need to establish employer fault.