If you were recently injured in a workplace accident or became seriously ill due to work-related conditions, your employer’s workers’ compensation plan should provide you with numerous benefits to help keep your personal finances stable while you recover from your condition. However, not every worker who gets hurt or sick on the job is entitled to the same benefits, and the financial value of available benefits can vary dramatically from case to case.
Perhaps most importantly, workers’ compensation insurance providers may not give you all the benefits to which you should be legally entitled if you do not understand and proactively enforce your rights. If you want to get the most workers’ compensation benefits in Van Nuys possible out of the potentially available benefits listed below, you should strongly consider seeking help from a well-versed workers’ compensation attorney at Glauber Berenson Vego.
All people who file for workers’ comp and who file valid claims are entitled to full reimbursement for the costs of all medical care needed to help them return to their pre-injury condition or to reach maximum medical improvement. Importantly, workers’ comp medical benefits in Van Nuys should cover not only inpatient and outpatient care in a medical facility but also things like assistive equipment, medications, and travel expenses to and from doctors’ appointments.
If a work-related injury or illness keeps someone out of work for more than three days or requires overnight hospitalization, that injured or sick worker should be entitled to temporary disability benefits through workers’ comp until they are able to return to work. These benefits are typically equal to about two-thirds of the person’s average pre-injury gross income, including from sources like tips, overtime, and commissions.
In most situations, people filing a workers’ comp claim can receive temporary disability benefits for up to two years. If they are still experiencing a long-term loss of working capacity after they are no longer eligible for temporary disability benefits, they can transition to receiving permanent disability benefits, the value of which will vary based on the exact nature and severity of their disability in Van Nuys.
Individuals who sustain long-term disabilities from workplace injuries or illnesses that prevent them from returning to their old job can receive a voucher through workers’ comp to cover education or job retraining services. The exact value of these benefits in a Van Nuys workers’ comp claim can vary from case to case, depending on what type of disability the person is experiencing.
Finally, if someone passes away prematurely as a direct result of a workplace accident or illness, their surviving dependents may be eligible to receive death benefits that cover funeral expenses and provide compensation close to what the decedent would have received as temporary or permanent disability benefits, up to prescribed maximum amounts that an attorney can discuss in more detail during a private consultation.
Workers’ compensation benefits in Van Nuys can be a vital lifeline for people dealing with an unexpected injury or illness caused by their working conditions. However, these benefits can only be helpful if you are able to obtain them in the first place, and as any experienced attorney could tell you, that is sometimes far easier said than done.
Assistance from our knowledgeable lawyers could be key to protecting your interests now and well into the future. Call today to learn more.
