What Type of Workers’ Compensation Benefits Am I Entitled To?

If you were injured at work, you probably have a million questions running through your head. How do you file a claim? Can I get fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim? What kind of benefits am I entitled to? That last question comes up a lot, and it’s one we’re quite familiar with. In general, a person is entitled to four basic types of benefits after a work injury. We explain those four type of benefits in today’s blog.

Medical Costs

Your employer and the insurer are responsible for any medical costs deemed “reasonable and necessary.” For example, covered medical costs may include hospitalization, doctor’s visits, surgery, physical and occupational therapy, pain injections and related medical care.

Lost Wages

Lost wages provides compensation if you are forced to miss work because of your injury. This can be paid in three different forms: Temporary Partial Disability (TPD), Temporary Total Disability (TTD) and Permanent Total Disability (PTD).

Permanent Disability

If your injury causes permanent bodily impairment or work restrictions, you may qualify for permanent partial disability (PPD) compensation based on the significance of your disability. Payment can either be in weekly payments or in the form of a lump sum.

Vocational Rehabilitation

Vocational rehabilitation benefits are a type of compensation designed to help the injured employee return to their former role or to a job related to that employment. Essentially, vocational rehabilitation is paid training to ensure you can acquiesce back into your role or to find a similar role with another company. This type of payment can include direct job placement, on-the-job training, or retraining at your old position based on your current abilities and work demands.

Lastly, although it generally isn’t considered one of the four basic types of payments because it isn’t offered to the injured worker, some families are eligible to receive dependency benefits should the work accident result in the death of a loved one. For more information about any of the above benefits, contact our office today.