If you suffer a workplace injury or illness, workers’ compensation provides a safety net to pay for medical treatment and partially replace lost wages during recovery. But the system goes far beyond basic medical bills and short-term disability payments. Additional valuable benefits may be available depending on your situation.
Understanding the range of workers’ comp provisions is key to securing everything you need to heal, get by financially, and return to work if possible. This overview covers the most significant types of help injured employees can access.
1. Medical Care
First and foremost, workers’ comp medical benefits supply free healthcare services related to your on-the-job injury, illness, or disease. This includes all reasonable and necessary medical treatments aimed at reducing symptoms and restoring functioning such as:
- Diagnostic tests like x-rays, MRI scans, bloodwork
- Prescription medications
- Therapy services – physical, occupational, massage
- Chiropractic, acupuncture, injections
- Surgery and hospitalization
- Prosthetics or assistive devices
- Mileage reimbursement for appointments
Workers’ comp insurance pays 100% of all approved care costs directly so you have no out-of-pocket expenses. You also have the right to a second opinion or change of doctor if needed.
2. Temporary Disability Payments
In addition to healthcare, you need income stability to avoid a financial crash while recovering. Temporary disability benefits supply approximately two-thirds of your average wages if you miss over 3-7 days of work. The exact amount and duration depend on the state.
These payments continue until you can return to your job or reach maximum medical improvement. Supplemental disability insurance can make up the remaining one-third loss. Athens Workers Compensation Lawyer can help you in case of any problems regarding your insurance claim.
3. Permanent Disability Compensation
For serious injuries causing lifelong impairment and lost earning capacity, permanent disability provides additional money beyond temporary disability. The amount depends on the disability rating percentage, with higher ratings for career-ending residual damage.
Permanent disability also factors in age, occupation, type of injury, and state law calculations. This benefit is paid weekly or in a lump sum to compensate for long-term effects.
4. Death Benefits
No one wants to think about tragedy striking, but workers’ compensation does provide death benefits to surviving relatives if a loved one dies from an occupational injury or illness. Close family members may receive burial expense reimbursement payments along with weekly benefits replacing some lost income.
Spouses commonly get 50% of the deceased worker’s wages until remarriage plus 15% for children. Death benefits continue until age 18 or longer if the child remains a dependent student.
5. Vocational Rehabilitation
If your injuries disable you too much to resume your previous profession, vocational rehab can fund job retraining, resume development, schooling costs, workplace accommodations, and job placement assistance.
These support services aim to help you secure alternative gainful employment within permanent restrictions so you can provide for yourself. Rehabilitation also reduces employers’ long-term wage loss liability.
Conclusion
While each state varies slightly, most workers’ compensation systems try to make injured employees whole across five pillars: medical care, temporary pay, permanent impairment settlements, death assistance, and return-to-work resources. Understanding how these benefits work, gathering thorough evidence, and having experienced legal guidance maximize your claim results.
Don’t leave money or care options unexplored. Let attorneys assist in pursuing everything legitimately due so you receive complete compensation.
