Workers’ Compensation Benefits
pay for a work-related injury or illness. If you get hurt during the ordinary course of business, you may be able to file a claim and receive financial benefits.
Do you know what these benefits entail? You may have heard that workers’ compensation pays for medical bills, including treatment and medicine for the condition, but there are other elements of an injury that it may cover. Depending on your state statutes, workers’ compensation may provide you other financial benefits and resources that may help you recover in the short and long run.
Disability Payments
One of the worst parts about being unable to work is the loss of a paycheck. Even if you have money saved for emergencies, it may not be enough to sustain you during the length of your recovery. One of the benefits that workers’ compensation insurance may pay is disability pay. Depending on the laws where you live, this may be an amount equal to your regular work earnings, or a portion thereof. Temporary disability payments are made consistently until a doctor deems you recovered. The average amount of permanent disability is two-thirds of your salary.
Vocational Retraining
Some injuries may be enough to disqualify you from remaining in the same type of job. For example, if you perform a physically demanding job, you may not be able to continue. If this is the case, the workers’ compensation provider may pay for you to get retraining for a more appropriate job. In some states, this is known as a vocational rehabilitation voucher and can come as part of your settlement, or you may attend training centers for help.
Physical and Psychological Therapy
Physical therapy may be part of your initial treatment plan. However, in some situations, doctors may indicate that you would benefit from long-term visits with a physical therapist. In these cases, the workers’ compensation carrier may make arrangements to continue paying for these visits, or they may offer a cash settlement equal to the total amount. Trips to a psychologist or psychiatrist for work-related injuries may also be handled similarly. When physicians opine that your disability may improve with future visits, your workers’ compensation claim may cover them for years to come.
An injury on the job can make your life difficult in more ways than one. Understanding what kind of benefits a workers’ compensation claim may pay is critical to planning for the worst. A workers’ compensation attorney Brooklyn offers may shed some light on the process and what it covers
Thanks to Polsky, Shouldice & Rosen, P.C. for their insight into workers’ compensation and what benefits are included.
