Work-related injuries and illnesses are more common than people think, considering the fact that workers compensation compensation costs employers $95 billion annually and covers 140 million U.S. workers. Work-related injuries are so commonplace in fact that according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics 3.5 out of every 100 U.S. employees were injured in 2012.
Since work-related injuries and illnesses are so prevalent, several different kinds of workers compensation benefits have been developed. Here are a few of the most common benefits that workers compensation can provide.
Medical Care.
The most common thing that workers compensation can cover is medical expenses. The specifics vary from state to state, but can usually cover such things as primary physician visits, prescriptions, and surgeries.
Disability.
If your injury keeps you out of work, then you may be eligible for disability benefits. These cover the wages lost during the period of affliction. There are four different kinds of disability compensation: permanent total, permanent partial, temporary total, and temporary partial. Permanent disabilities are ones that will never heal, while temporary disabilities eventually will heal. Total disabilities are ones that completely prevent you from being able to return to work, while partial disabilities only prevents you from doing some of your job’s duties.
Rehabilitation.
Sometimes, medical treatment isn’t enough to help you recover. Thankfully, workers comp can also cover medical and therapeutic rehabilitation, as well any training that might be required to help you regain the necessary abilities and skills to return you to work.
While you may not be eligible to receive all of these benefits, chances are that you can win a settlement covering more than enough of your expenses with the right team of workers compensation lawyers. If you’ve been hurt at work and have any questions about what kinds of benefits you might be eligible to receive, you should schedule a consultation with workers compensation attorneys. Continue reading here.