If you are hurt at work, you will wonder how much you can get for a workers’ compensation claim. As part of a typical claim, you are usually entitled to these benefits:
- Weekly compensation
- Permanent impairment compensation
- Medical bill payments
- Work rehabilitation
First, note that workers’ compensation laws do not provide compensation for your pain and suffering. States have passed these laws to protect workers’ income only. If you have an injury from work and cannot do your job, you will receive weekly compensation, but nothing for pain and suffering.
Weekly Compensation
You can get weekly compensation for temporary total disability; temporary partial disability; permanent total disability, or permanent partial disability.
Temporary disability means you are still recovering but you should get better. Permanent disability means your condition is stable but it will not improve.
Total disability means you cannot work in any type of job. Partial disability means you have some ability to work, perhaps sedentary or light duty jobs.
Your weekly benefit for total disability usually will be 60% of your pre-injury average weekly salary. But most states cap the weekly benefit at $1000 per week.
For partial disability, you will receive less because you are still able to perform some type of work.
If you have a permanent impairment, your payment will be based on how much the injured part of your body is impaired. If your doctor says your hand injury results in a 20% permanent impairment, you would receive 20% of whatever your state law allows for complete loss of a hand. If the full amount is $100,000, you would receive $20,000. Some states also will allow you to receive compensation for scarring from a workplace injury.
You also are entitled to have all ‘reasonable and necessary’ medical treatments paid for, which can be contentious between you and the workers’ comp insurer. It may be necessary to hire an attorney to represent you here.
You also can be paid for vocational rehabilitation so you can be retrained for another job.