It’s devastating when you learn that the injuries you suffer from doing your job would be the reason to lose your work. However, all is not lost when you have workers’ compensation to turn to. It covers a manifold of benefits that can help injured and sick employees get back on their feet after suffering from injuries and sickness not to mention the physical, emotional, and financial stress.
When you have a permanent partial disability, you may be eligible to receive a supplemental job displacement benefit (SJDB). It takes a lot of effort and knowledge to file a claim and working with our compassionate and skilled workers’ compensation attorneys at ODG Law will ensure that we’ll protect your rights and defend you from the insurance company’s bad practices of denying claims of injured workers.
Call (818) 975-3080 for help and we’ll be there for you wherever and whenever you need us. Schedule a free consultation with us.
What is a Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit?
This is a type of benefit that guarantees to pay for your skill enhancement or educational retraining or sometimes both, at government-accredited schools. You can use the voucher for paying your tuition, tools, books, and miscellaneous fees the training school requires.
Moreover, this voucher will take care of your professional certification fees, examination preparation course fees, and other related examination fees. The type of benefit that you may obtain and the process of acquiring this benefit depend on the date of your injury and if your employer offers you appropriate work.
You can redeem up to $6,000 no matter what is your permanent disability rating. However, you can’t redeem the voucher as part of your case settlement.
You may get up to a $600 money voucher you can use to pay for the services of an authorized placement agency and a vocational or return-to-work counselor as well as resumé preparation.
Up to $500 of the money voucher is usable upon request for miscellaneous expenses with no receipts or other validation. You can choose the school you want to attend for retraining from California’s Eligible Training Provider List (ETPL).
Due to the complexity of the process, consulting with one of our knowledgeable workers’ compensation lawyers can make it less cumbersome for you.
Skilled Workers’ Compensation Attorneys: How are You Going to Qualify for this Benefit?
The claims administrator should offer you this kind of benefit provided that:
- The injury you sustained caused permanent partial disability
- Your employer or company didn’t offer you regular, adjusted, or substitute work within 60 days after the claims administrator acquires the “Physician’s Return-to-Work & Voucher Report.”
If your doctor finds that your medical condition is long-term and unwavering, the doctor will evaluate your condition. He will conclude whether you have a permanent disability and how that impairment will impact your ability to perform your task(s). He will create a report that will determine tasks that you cannot do, known as “work restrictions.”
When you can’t go back to your pre-injury job, your employer may offer you “modified work.” It means that your work needs adjustment to support your work restrictions or a different job that you may be able to do. Nevertheless, the modified or alternative work should:
- Last at least one year
- Pay at least 85% of what you were earning before your injury
- You must be located within a rationale commuting distance of where you lived during the course of your injury
You’ll be eligible for supplemental job displacement benefits if your employer doesn’t offer you modified or alternative work in 60 days following the doctor’s report. However, you cannot be eligible if you decline your employer’s offer, provided it meets the legal requirements for alternative or modified work.
The claims administrator sends the voucher on a form called “Supplemental Job Displacement Nontransferable Voucher Form.”
How to Utilize the Voucher for Paying Your Retraining Expenses?
Present the voucher to the government-accredited school or counselor you choose for them to keep in touch with the claims administrator for direct payment. Paying the expenses and submitting receipts directly to the claims administrator enables you to get reimbursement. The administrator should do this within 45 days of receiving the receipts together with your signed voucher.
What is the Deadline for Using the Voucher?
The voucher will expire within two years after furnishing the voucher for you or five years after your injury date, or whichever comes recently. All expenses should come along with necessary receipts and other confirmation before the expiration date.
Return-to-Work Supplement Program
The state has another program that offers additional compensation for injured employees who received supplemental job displacement vouchers. It also applies to those whose permanent disability benefits are specifically low compared to the amount of earnings they lost because of their injuries.
There’s a one-time payment set at $5,000, however, the state may adjust that amount. You can apply for the return-to-work supplement online and the deadline is up to one year after receiving the displacement voucher.
Disagreement with the Claims Administrator Regarding Your SJDB Voucher
There are times when the injured worker will have disagreements with the claims administrator regarding the SJDB voucher. If that is the case, you have options to resolve your dispute whether you have or have no counsel to represent you. However, it would be best to be working with ODG Law’s best trial workers’ compensation lawyers to ensure that you’ll resolve your disagreement to the best of your interest.
ODG Law Can Provide the Help You Need
When you have concerns about your qualifications for your workers’ compensation, you can call ODG Law for help. Likewise, if you have disputes with your supplemental job displacement benefit, our finest workers’ compensation legal representatives will be here to assist you all the way.
We’re here to secure the maximum benefits and compensation you deserve and need to recover from a work-related injury. We’ll empower you with the education and counseling necessary for making informed decisions and embarking on decisive action.
Reach out to us and tell us about your case. Call (818) 975-3080 and have your case evaluated for FREE. Allow us to help you fight your struggle with the insurance company or claims administrator. We work on a contingency fee basis.
