It is very common for a person to suffer an injury at work. Last year, there were nearly 170,000 initial workplace injury reports just in Los Angeles County. Across the state of California, there were about 700,000 workplace injury reports.
These workplace injuries can happen anywhere, but often occur in jobs that require manual labor. For example, construction workers and waste disposal workers frequently get hurt while on the job. If a person suffers an injury at work, they are almost always eligible for financial workers’ compensation benefits. This is true even for undocumented workers. Here are the three main types of benefits an injured worker might receive.
1. Your medical bills
If you are injured at work, you will probably need some type of medical care. This could include:
- An emergency room visit
- Doctor appointments
- Medications
- Physical or occupational therapy
Under the workers’ compensation system, your employer will usually be required to pay for medical treatment related to your work injury.
2. Some of your lost wages
If you are injured at work and cannot do your job, you might be worried about your income. If your workers’ compensation claim is approved, you might receive some of your wages while you are recovering. This is called temporary disability benefits.
You will not receive your full paycheck. Instead, workers’ compensation will generally pay two-thirds of your normal wages. When your doctor says you are recovered or can work again, then you will stop receiving these lost wages payments.
3. Permanent disability payments
Some workplace injuries are very bad. These injuries might cause health problems for the rest of that person’s life. If you suffer a long-term injury like this, you might qualify for permanent disability benefits. This means you will be paid a specific amount of money for a predetermined length of time. It very likely will not make up for all of your lost income. However, it provides some financial support.
If you were hurt at work and want to receive workers’ compensation benefits, you must follow some rules. If you make a mistake, you might not receive any benefits. To receive help with this process, you can speak to an attorney.
