When workers suffer injuries related to their jobs, their first instinct is to file a workers’ compensation to cover any expenses they may incur for their medical treatment and other overheads.
Workers’ compensation is one of the oldest social insurance programs that’s generally based on a compromise between employees and employers. The law requires every company or employer to carry this kind of coverage for their employees.
Their workers are eligible to receive immediate and efficient medical treatment for work-related injuries or illnesses, regardless of who was at fault. Employees in return cannot file a lawsuit against their employers over those work-related injuries or illnesses that developed over time because of repetitive tasks or exposure to toxic chemicals or contagious diseases.
If you sustain injuries or develop an illness because of your job, you may have the qualifications to file for workers’ compensation. To make your filing smooth and hassle-free talk to our credible workers’ compensation attorneys at ODG Law to know the correct procedure. Call (818) 975-3080 for a FREE consultation.
What to Do if You Sustain Injuries While Doing Your Job?
Reporting the incident to your employer is the initial thing that you must do. Notifying the management immediately helps prevent issues and interruptions in acquiring benefits, including necessary medical treatment.
When you fail to inform your employer about your injury or situation within 30 days, he or she won’t be able to thoroughly investigate your injury and how you acquired it. If such is the case, you may lose your right to receive workers’ compensation.
Seek necessary medical treatment and your employer will tell you where to get it. Remember to tell the attending medical personnel that your injuries or illness is work-related.
Your employer must give you a claim form (DWC 1) within a working day as soon as he learned about your injury. You can also download the form from the DWC website. Complete it and give it back to your employer who will then send it to the insurance company for evaluation.
Why Do You Need to Fill Out the Claim Form?
It makes sense to fill out the claim form because it starts the process of finding all benefits that may make you eligible according to the law. These benefits include:
- A hypothesis that your illness or injury was due to your work if the insurance company didn’t accept or denied your claim within 90 days upon submission of your completed DWC 1 form to your employer
- Up to $10,000 in medical care under the guidelines while the claims administrator contemplates your claim
- Increment in your disability payments if delayed
- Resolving any disputes between you and the claims administrator such as whether your injury or illness is work-related, the medical care you get, and if you’ll receive permanent disability benefits
If you have some disputes with the claims administrator, consulting our knowledgeable workers’ compensation attorney at ODG Law will help you come up with the right decision.
Credible Workers’ Compensation Attorneys: What Benefits are You Entitled to Receive?
Workers’ compensation provides an injured or sick worker with different benefits based on his needs and the severity of the injury or illness he sustained or developed from doing his job. These benefits include:
Medical Care
Your employer pays for your medical care to help you recover from work-related injury or illness. Doctors need to provide evidence-based medical treatment. It means that they should choose treatments proven scientifically to treat or relieve injuries or illnesses because of work.
Temporary Disability Benefits
These are payments given to you if you lose earnings because of your injury or illness that prevented you from doing your job while you recover your health. You’ll receive two-thirds of the gross salaries you lose while you’re recovering from a work injury. Payments start when your doctor states that you can’t perform your usual tasks for over three days or need to stay in the hospital overnight.
Permanent Disability Benefits
Permanent disability is any persisting impairment that results in a decreased earning ability after reaching maximum medical improvement. You’ll receive permanent disability benefits if you don’t recover fully from your injury or illness because of work.
The claims administrator determines how much you should receive according to your disability rating, date of injury, and your salary prior to your injury. This is typically paid when temporary disability benefits end and your doctor said that your injury has some permanent effects on you.
Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits
This type of benefit comes in the form of vouchers to help pay for your retraining or skill enhancement or even both, in case you don’t recover completely and don’t return to work for your employer. The amount of the voucher is generally based on the percentage of your disability.
- You’ll get up to to $4,000 voucher for permanent partial disability (PPD) which is less than 15%
- Receive up to a $6,000 voucher for PPD if your rating is between 15 and 25%
- You’ll acquire up to $8,000 voucher for PPD between 26 and 49%
- Get up to $10,000 voucher PPD between 50 and 99%
- You can also use up to 10% of the voucher funds for vocational or return-to-work counseling
Death Benefits
There are cases when the worker dies while doing his job because of a workplace accident or a stroke on the job. The surviving family gets the benefits on behalf of their deceased loved one. They’ll get an income benefit starting with the month of their loved one’s death and shall continue for as long as they’re eligible.
Need Professional Help? ODG Law is Here for You
Filing a claim is a complex thing and working with an experienced workers’ compensation is the best decision that you can make. If you have disputes to resolve, our credible workers’ compensation attorneys can help you. We’ll protect your rights and maximize your compensation.
If you have any questions regarding the filing of your claim, don’t hesitate to speak with us so we can protect your rights. Call (818) 975-3080 for a free evaluation of your case. We work on a contingency fee basis.
