Few things are as difficult as being injured at work and facing medical bills while you’re off the job. This is where workers’ compensation comes in, but receiving the full range of benefits you’re entitled to is no easy feat. Learn more about our workers’ compensation services, and speak with an experienced Jersey City workers’ compensation lawyer at Matarazzo & Lubcher today.
Workers’ Compensation Benefits Explained
Your employer is required to carry workers’ compensation coverage on you and all their employees. This is a no-fault system that ensures coverage regardless of either party’s negligence and is intended to expedite the process. There are several basic benefit types based on the specific circumstances.
Medical Benefits
Medical benefits apply across the board. If you are injured at work or suffer an illness that relates to your job, your necessary medical expenses should be covered by workers’ compensation. Complications can, however, arise. These tend to include factors like work-relatedness, unauthorized treatment, and preexisting conditions.
Additionally, you’ll likely need to see a doctor who your employer or their insurance provider selects, but this requirement can potentially be challenged further on in the process.
Temporary Total Disability
Temporary total disability (TTD) applies at the point that you miss seven days of work. This benefit is calculated as 70 percent of your average gross weekly earnings and is paid retroactively from the first day you missed. The state sets a maximum weekly benefit, which continues until you return to work or reach maximum medical improvement (MMI).
Permanent Partial Disability
Permanent partial disability benefits compensate you for lasting physical loss after maximum medical improvement, even if you return to your former job. These benefits are based on permanent physical loss, not on whether you keep your job or your pay.
Benefits apply even if the employee returns to their former job, and they are based on the severity of the loss. If the employee can only work at a reduced capacity, they may also be eligible for TPD benefits to cover their lost wages.
Permanent Total Disability
Permanent total disability (PTD) workers’ compensation benefits apply if your injury is so serious that it stops you from returning to work or to any gainful employment long-term. These benefits are initially paid for 450 weeks, but they can be paid permanently if the inability to work persists. The primary requirement for PTD benefits is reaching maximum medical improvement with no additional improvement expected.
A compassionate workers’ compensation attorney will leave no stone unturned in their focused efforts to obtain an optimal claim outcome on your behalf.
An Experienced Jersey City Workers’ Compensation Attorney Can Help
The formidable Jersey City workers’ compensation lawyers at Matarazzo & Lubcher in Hudson County bring the full force of our legal insight and skill to every client we represent, and we welcome the opportunity to serve you as well. Your claim is important, so please don’t hesitate to contact us online for more information.