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Getting injured at work means you’re entitled to compensation for your injuries and work you miss as a result. But workers’ compensation benefits don’t stop just at paying for your medical bills and your wages.
Here are 5 types of benefits you may qualify for in your workers’ compensation case:
Lost Wages
When you’re injured at work, you are still entitled to receive a portion of your base wages for the amount of time you are recuperating.
The exact amount varies based on where you live and how much you make, but you can expect to receive a portion of your regular compensation for a period of time as part of your workers’ compensation case. Depending on your injuries, you may be entitled to receive this compensation for the rest of your life.
Medical Care
Because your injuries happened while you were on the job, your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance should cover the cost of your medical care. This treatment usually isn’t subject to dollar amount limits, copays, or deductibles, but you may be limited by law to a certain number of visits for specific treatments (Ex: A maximum of 24 visits for physical therapy or chiropractic care).
Types of treatment usually covered under workers’ compensation insurance includes:
- Doctor visits
- Hospital treatment
- Ambulance transport
- Nursing care
- Medications
- Medical diagnostic tests
- Surgery
- Physical therapy
- Durable medical equipment
- Mental health treatment
Additionally, you may be limited by law on what kinds of treatment is covered by workers’ compensation, such as biofeedback, massage therapy, and acupuncture.
Vocational Rehabilitation
Your injuries may mean that, although you have gotten better, you can no longer hold the job you did before you were hurt.
In these cases, most states provide vocational rehabilitation services to help you find a job going forward.
Vocational rehabilitation services can include:
- Vocational assessment
- Guidance or counseling
- Functional capacity assessments
- Work experience
- Vocational training
- Job-seeking assistance
The goal of vocational rehabilitation is to find you some sort of work that you can do to support yourself and your family even if you’re unable to have the same type of job you once did.
Disability
If you were injured in a way that’s considered disabling by your state’s workers’ compensation laws, you are entitled to receive disability payments.
The amount you will receive depends on the nature of your disability, as well as the limits of your state. This amount is usually calculated using your average weekly wage (your average weekly pay prior to your injury), and can be subject to minimum and maximum thresholds.
There are four major types of disability payments you can receive, and whether you qualify depends on your injuries:
- Temporary Total: This type of payment is for injuries that temporarily keep you from working while you recover.
- Temporary Partial: If you received an injury that doesn’t completely keep you from working, but you need to take on different duties while you recover, you may be entitled to Temporary Partial disability payments. For example, if you broke your foot at work and cannot perform your regular physical job, but you are able to return to work for desk duties, you can qualify for Temporary Partial disability. In this case, you may receive reduced pay for the duties you’re able to perform, and then Temporary Partial disability payments provide you a percentage of the difference between that amount and your regular pay.
- Permanent Total: For injuries that leave you totally disabled, based on your state’s schedule of injuries, you receive a percentage of your average weekly wage for the rest of your life, or until you reach retirement age, depending on your state.
- Permanent Partial: Some states separate permanent partial disabilities into two categories: schedule and non-schedule. Schedule injuries refer to loss or permanent injury of particular body parts, such as a finger, hand, or eye. You then receive a portion of your average weekly wage for the time period allocated for that body part (Ex: If you lose a finger, you are eligible for Permanent Partial payments for 50 weeks).
Death Benefits
In the event that a worker dies as the result of a work-related injury, their spouse, minor children, and other dependents can receive death benefits.
These benefits vary by state and can include payment for the wages lost by the death of the worker and the cost of burial.
Skilled Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Washington, D.C.
At Lopez Law Firm, we know it’s stressful to get injured on the job. You may struggle wondering if you’ll ever see compensation for your injuries, and whether you’ll be able to get back to work. Our experienced team can help guide you through the process, start to finish, and get you the result you deserve. Schedule your consultation today!