Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
Workers’ compensation is a vital part of our legal system that ultimately holds employers or co-workers accountable for any negligence they have caused. Unfortunately, filing for workers’ compensation is a rather common procedure – in fact, just over 4.9 million claims are filed every year in the United States. When you file a workers’ compensation case, you may be eligible to receive various types of benefits, and your workers compensation lawyer, such as a lawyer at Attorney Eric T. Kirk, will help you understand all of your possible outcomes. Below, we’ve listed five common types of workers’ compensation benefits you can receive from filing a case.
Medical Benefits
Medical benefits are one of the primary types of compensation provided under workers’ compensation. If you sustain a work-related injury or illness, you are entitled to have your reasonable and necessary medical expenses covered. This includes doctor’s visits, hospitalization, surgeries, prescription medications, rehabilitation services, physical therapy, and medical equipment required for your recovery. Medical benefits aim to ensure that you receive appropriate medical care and treatment without incurring out-of-pocket expenses.
Disability Benefits
Disability benefits are intended to compensate for lost wages when you are unable to work due to your work-related injury or illness. There are generally four types of disability benefits:
- Temporary Total Disability (TTD): If your injury or illness prevents you from working at all during your recovery, you may be eligible for TTD benefits. These benefits typically provide a percentage of your average weekly wage while you are unable to work.
- Temporary Partial Disability (TPD): If your injury or illness allows you to return to work but at a reduced capacity or with lower earnings, you may be eligible for TPD benefits. These benefits make up a portion of the wage difference between your pre-injury earnings and your current reduced earnings.
- Permanent Total Disability (PTD): If your work-related injury or illness permanently prevents you from returning to any type of gainful employment, you may be eligible for PTD benefits. These benefits provide ongoing compensation to replace your lost wages.
- Permanent Partial Disability (PPD): If your work-related injury or illness causes a permanent impairment but allows you to continue working, you may be eligible for PPD benefits. These benefits compensate you for the permanent impairment or loss of function you have suffered.
Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits
Vocational rehabilitation benefits aim to assist injured workers in returning to gainful employment. If your work-related injury or illness prevents you from performing your previous job, vocational rehabilitation benefits can help you acquire new job skills, receive job placement assistance, or undergo vocational training to facilitate your return to work. These benefits provide valuable support and resources to help you transition back into the workforce and regain financial independence.
Death Benefits
In the unfortunate event that a work-related injury or illness results in the death of an employee, workers’ compensation provides death benefits to the surviving dependents. These benefits typically cover funeral and burial expenses and provide financial support to the deceased worker’s dependents, such as spouse, children, or other qualifying family members. Death benefits are designed to help alleviate the financial burden faced by the family after the loss of a loved one.
Rehabilitation Services
In addition to medical and disability benefits, workers’ compensation may cover rehabilitation services aimed at helping injured workers recover and regain their functional abilities. Rehabilitation services can include physical therapy, occupational therapy, vocational counseling, and other specialized services designed to facilitate your physical, emotional, and vocational recovery. These services aim to improve your overall well-being and enhance your ability to reintegrate into the workforce successfully.