Getting injured at work or falling ill due to a work-related situation is quite common and usually results in workers’ compensation benefits. These injuries or illnesses could cause employees and employers so much time and money. According to the National Safety Council, the total cost of work injuries in 2019 was $171 billion.

Workers’ compensation is a system that ensures that organizations adequately compensate employees for work-related injuries or illnesses. In this article, we explore the various types of workers’ comp benefits you can access.

Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits

The following are the different types of workers’ comp benefits that you can be eligible for:

Medical Care

According to workers’ comp laws, you should receive medical treatment until you have reached Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI). Therefore, workers’ comp should cover your medical expenses and hospital bills for a work-related injury or illness. This usually covers therapy, hospital visits, drugs, surgeries, etc. It also covers medical expenses that are not physical.  As such, if you also need counseling, your workers’ compensation should cover it.

While this process should be smooth, your organization’s insurance company or your organization might make it difficult. In this case, you should consult a workers’ compensation attorney to ensure that you get fairly compensated.

Workers’ Comp Rehabilitation Benefits

Rehabilitation benefits include physical therapy and whatever rehabilitation you might need to get back to your former state. Vocational rehabilitation benefits are also available for workers who require assistance to get back to work. With these benefits, a qualified rehabilitation consultant can be made available to train or retrain you.

Workers’ Compensation Disability Benefits

Sometimes you don’t just sustain an injury due to a work accident; you could sustain a temporary or permanent disability. In these cases, workers’ comp also applies, but in different measures based on your disability.

• Temporary Total Disability

After you get injured or ill at work, you might not be able to do any work for a limited period. In this case, you can qualify for temporary total disability benefits. If you cannot return to work for at least seven days after the injury, you may qualify for these benefits.

• Temporary Partial Disability 

You might have sustained an injury at work that caused a partial disability. This means that you can still work but at a lower capacity than you usually would.  This might cause you to lose some hours each day for as long as you have your disability.

You might have to do a less stressful job that wouldn’t pay as much as your regular job in some cases. When this happens, you might be eligible for temporary partial disability benefits. You can only get temporary partial disability benefits for up to 350 weeks from the date of your injury.

• Permanent Total Disability 

When you have reached maximum medical improvement, the doctor will determine if you qualify for permanent total disability benefits. However, if the doctor thinks that you will improve over time, you might not qualify for these benefits. You also might not qualify if there are other alternative treatments available to you that you have not tried. If the doctor confirms your permanent total disability, you can receive your compensation benefits for as long as you live.

• Permanent Partial Disability

This is quite similar to the temporary partial disability, only that you can be paid life-long benefits. You qualify for these benefits if one of your body parts is permanently disabled due to a work-related injury. You should reach out to a workers’ comp lawyer to determine what benefits you qualify for.

Workers’ Compensation Death Benefits

In some unfortunate instances, an employee could die due to a work-related injury or illness. When this occurs, one’s dependents usually receive compensation for the death. This helps to substitute for the financial support they would have received from the deceased had they been alive. They could also cover funeral and burial costs.

If you think you are eligible to receive death benefits, you should immediately contact a workers’ compensation attorney. They will help establish your relationship with the deceased and ensure that you get adequate remuneration for your loss.

Let Us Help You Claim Your Workers’ Compensation Benefits

The different types of workers’ compensation benefits depend on your injury or illness. We can help you get the appropriate benefits for your case, whatever it is. The process might be long and tasking if you try to do it alone. However, with the right lawyer, you can get the benefits you deserve. Contact Miami Lawyers 360 for a consultation today, and let’s get started in helping you claim your due compensation.