Many work injuries are simple and only cause short-term challenges. An employee cuts or burns themselves. They break a bone because they fall. They report the incident and initiate a workers’ compensation claim. Their benefits pay for them to undergo treatment. They may qualify for disability pay if they must take a brief leave of absence from work. Eventually, the injured worker returns to their full functional capacity.
Not everyone who gets hurt on the job is that fortunate. In some cases, work injuries lead to long-term symptoms and functional limitations. Occasionally, professionals may find themselves incapable of returning to the same profession because they cannot safely or effectively perform certain tasks.
What options do workers have when on-the-job injuries affect their functional capabilities and prevent them from returning to the same position?
Workers may have a permanent partial disability
There are several different categories of disability benefits available through workers’ compensation. Many professionals only need temporary disability benefits as they undergo treatment or stop working temporarily to recover from their injuries. Those benefits end when the worker returns to their job.
In scenarios where a health care professional affirms that an injured worker is unlikely to make a full recovery, they may then be eligible for permanent disability benefits. In cases where employees cannot work at all, they may qualify for permanent total disability benefits. However, incidents that severe are rare.
It is much more common for workers to have lingering symptoms that prevent them from performing certain job functions but not from working in general. In cases where workers experience a permanent reduction in their functional capabilities or long-lasting symptoms that affect their job performance, they may be eligible for permanent partial disability benefits.
These benefits can involve a lump-sum payment in certain cases or ongoing payments meant to diminish the difference between their current income and their income prior to the injury. A worker in need of ongoing symptom management because of persistent medical issues caused by work may also be eligible for medical benefits through workers’ compensation.
Understanding the types of coverage available can help workers diminish the financial consequences of an on-the-job injury. Workers’ compensation benefits can help during the injury recovery process and when workers are unlikely to make a full recovery as well.