Workplace injuries and illnesses can disrupt your life and financial stability. Fortunately, workers’ compensation benefits are designed to support and assist employees who have been injured or become ill on the job. In this blog, we will explore the benefits available in a workers’ compensation claim and how an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer can help you navigate the process.
Medical Benefits
Medical benefits are one of the primary components of workers’ compensation claims. These benefits cover all necessary medical treatments and expenses related to your work-related injury or illness. This includes doctor’s visits, hospital stays, surgeries, prescription medications, rehabilitation, physical therapy, and any required medical devices.
You must seek immediate medical attention if you are injured at work and follow your doctor’s recommended treatment plan. Medical benefits ensure you receive the necessary care and treatment to recover and return to work immediately.
Wage Replacement Benefits
Wage replacement benefits can provide much-needed financial support when you cannot work due to a work-related injury or illness. These benefits typically come in two forms:
- Temporary Total Disability (TTD) Benefits: If your injury or illness temporarily prevents you from working, TTD benefits can replace a portion of your lost wages.
- Permanent Total Disability (PTD) Benefits: If your injury or illness results in a permanent disability that prevents you from returning to any gainful employment, PTD benefits can provide ongoing financial support.
Wage replacement benefits are calculated based on your average weekly wage and the severity of your disability. They help cover your living expenses and maintain financial stability during your recovery.
Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) Benefits
If your work-related injury or illness results in a permanent impairment but does not prevent you from working entirely, you may be eligible for Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) benefits. PPD benefits compensate you for the permanent loss of bodily function or the reduction in your earning capacity due to the impairment.
The specific amount of PPD benefits you receive depends on the extent of your impairment and the state’s workers’ compensation laws. Working with experienced attorneys is essential to ensure you receive fair and just compensation for your permanent disability.
Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits
In some cases, a work-related injury or illness may leave you unable to return to your previous job or occupation. Vocational rehabilitation benefits can provide you with the necessary training and resources to acquire new skills or find alternative employment. These benefits aim to help you regain your financial independence and self-sufficiency.
Vocational rehabilitation benefits may include job counseling, job placement assistance, and retraining programs tailored to your abilities and limitations.
Death Benefits
Tragically, some workplace injuries or illnesses result in fatalities. In such cases, workers’ compensation provides death benefits to the surviving dependents of the deceased worker. These benefits typically cover funeral and burial expenses and provide financial support to the deceased worker’s spouse and dependent children.
Thanks to our friends from Ted A. Greve & Associates for their insight into workers’ compensation claims.