Personal Injury Lawyer
When a work injury requires medical attention, the worker may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits. If the employer is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance, the worker will have to file a claim of occupational injury before these benefits start being paid. Take a look at the four common benefits an injured employee may receive.
1. Medical Care
Once a worker’s compensation claim is filed, the insurance carrier begins paying for medical care. These are at first directed to the medical facility providing care for the injured worker. Once the claim is accepted, the carrier may reimburse the worker for any previous money they paid for care. Ongoing medical expenses are taken care of by the provider directly until the claim is resolved.
2. Disability Payments
The workers’ compensation carrier will also start paying temporary disability payments to the injured worker. This money is meant to help supplement the income lost by the incident and resulting injury. It is usually a portion of the worker’s salary. When the worker is cleared by the doctor to return to work, these disability payments stop. However, if the injury is severe and keeps the injured party from reentering the workforce, the carrier pays disability payments for the remainder of that person’s life. These permanent disability payments begin when an injured worker is deemed permanently and totally disabled by medical professionals.
3. Rehabilitation
Another benefit that workers’ compensation carriers pay is ongoing physical rehabilitation. There are times when an injury may enable the worker to go back to work, but they may have to modify duties and continue to undergo physical therapy. Workers’ compensation benefits cover the treatment. If a worker cannot return to the same job because of these work-related injuries, the carrier may also pay for vocational rehabilitation. This enables the worker to learn a new trade, skill, or profession for free so they may reenter the workforce and earn a paycheck. This benefit may come in the form of a voucher or direct payments to the facility.
4. Death Benefits
The most severe workers’ compensation injury results in death. Once the work conditions are proven to have contributed to or caused the death, the workers’ compensation carrier begins paying death benefits to the worker’s heirs. This may be a spouse, children, or other qualified individuals.
A lawyer, like a workers’ compensation lawyer, at Law Offices of Franks, Koenig & Neuwelt, can aid in a further understanding of state laws and what benefits to which a worker is entitled. Finding one soon after an injury may prove critical to receiving these benefits.