The Benefits of Workers Compensation

Every year in the US there are millions of people who become injured whilst doing their job. Fortunately, many people that have accidents in the workplace are covered by workers compensation. If you find yourself in this situation, then it is advisable that you contact a Riverside workers compensation attorney who can advise you of your rights.

In many states, including California, workers compensation insurance is mandatory for employers and although many employers see it as a 'necessary evil' it does have its benefits to both the injured party and the employer, so with this in mind, let's take a look at some of these.

Medical benefits

When it comes to medical benefits, workers compensation provides quick and easy access to funds without having to go through expensive litigation processes. Some workers compensation programs allow the injured party to choose their own physician to treat them. This is on the proviso that this information has already been passed to your employer prior to the accident. Other programs require the workers to use the services of a contracted medical health specialist who is approved by the company's insurance carrier. Either way medical benefits include:

• Any immediate emergency treatment costs
• MRI scans and X rays
• Doctors' visits
• Cost of medication and drugs needed
• Surgery costs
• Hospital care
• Any travel expenses and mileage reimbursement

In a situation like this, the employee should never have to pay for medical funding; it should always come from either an insurance provider or the employer. It should also be paid fairly quickly (usually within 72 hours). If you have suffered an injury and are having trouble receiving money for your injury, then a Riverside County workers compensation attorney can help.

Disability benefits

Payment for disability is a major part of workers compensation. These payments cover the wages that are lost due to the injury whilst the person is recovering. Typically they are classified as temporary or permanent, partial or total. At this point employees can receive more than one type of disability allowance, but not at once.

Temporary

Temporary disability payments can start when an employee is off sick for a few days. This is usually somewhere between 3-7 days. If an injured employee is able to return to work, either in a limited capacity or part time then they may be eligible for partial disability payments. Typically benefit payments for temporary disability are around two thirds of a weekly wage, times a percentage of the disability. If a person is unable to work at all during the recovery period, then they are entitled to be paid two thirds of their average weekly wage. Temporary disability payments generally last until the patient is deemed fit to return to normal work, or that they are now eligible for permanent disability.

Permanent

If an examining doctor agrees that an employee will never be fully fit to return to work then the worker should be eligible for benefits under this category. Typically permanent disability is classed as injuries such as chronic long term back pain or a very bad injury that has left the victim permanently damaged, such as severe head trauma. There are many factors to take in to account when considering what to pay a person on permanent disability and they can include;

• Type of injury and which body part has been affected
• The seriousness of the injury
• Pain levels
• Any future work restrictions
• Total expected future medical care costs

If you are on permanent disability and you are not getting paid what you believe that you should, then contact an experienced Riverside County workers comp attorney who can help.

Death Benefits

Although no amount of money can ever bring back a loved one, it is some comfort to know that funds will be received through workers compensation in order to assists family members in their time of need. These benefits will usually include funds to cover funeral and burial expenses, loss of wages, now that the family has lost an income, plus other compensation benefits that vary from state to state. If you are in any doubt as to what you should be receiving, then feel free to contact a workers comp lawyer who will advise you of your entitlements.

How does this system help the employer?

In essence the system is also helpful to the employer because it is classed as a 'no blame' policy. This means that unless the employer is deemed to be grossly negligent, then the worker cannot blame the employer for their injury and as a result there are no lengthy and indeed costly court cases for the employer to endure.

Although workers compensation does have its critics, in general, it does what it says 'on the packet' and has done for years. Talk to a highly experienced Riverside workers compensation attorney if you are unsure of your rights.