What is Available to Injured Workers?
Medical Treatment
Workers’ compensation benefits entitle you to medical treatment, at no cost to you, to cure and relieve the effects of your industrial injury.
Temporary Disability
You are entitled to receive monetary payments while you are off work and temporarily disabled due to your injury. The amount of temporary disability is based upon two-thirds of your average weekly wage, with established maximums, depending upon the date of your injury.
Permanent Disability
If your injury affects your ability to participate in the job market in the future, worker’s compensation law states that you may receive a set dollar amount as compensation. How much you’ll receive is determined by the part of your body that is injured. Your age, your occupation, and any work restrictions as determined by various doctors. These factors are plugged into a standard rating schedule to determine how much you can recover. If you are 70% to 99.75% disabled, you may additionally receive a small pension for the rest of your life. If you are 100% (totally) disabled, the amount you are entitled to receive increases substantially.
Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits
If you cannot return to your former job because of limitations caused by your industrial injury, you are entitled to assistance in finding other employment. Vocational rehabilitation is a program designed to return you to the employment market. To this end, Vocational rehabilitation employs a number of means, including possibly a retraining program designed to help you acquire the skills necessary to return to suitable gainful employment.
Death Benefits
Worker compensation law states that if you were a total or partial dependent of an employee who died as a result of an industrial injury, you may have the right to recover certain benefits, including burial expenses and a sum of money.
If you or a loved one has suffered as a result of a work-related injury call the lawyers at the Dinizulu Law Group, Ltd., at (312) 384-1920 to advocate on your behalf.
