If injured at work, you probably know that you can claim workers’ compensation insurance. Workers’ comp can provide replacement wages and the medical care for your injuries to help you while you recover but then what happens?
What if your recovery isn’t quick, complete, or even possible?
What does workers’ compensation insurance cover?
Workers’ comp insurance is designed to cover the medical expenses you incur due to your injury and avoid leaving you without an income while you get better. It typically assumes that you will return to work at some point.
To help you return to your job, the insurance should pay for the cost of any therapy or rehabilitation you need. Yet, despite all this, there are some injuries you will not be able to recover from sufficiently to return to your old role.
Your employer may be able to offer you another role within the company. However, even this might not be possible. Let’s say your job involved climbing and pruning trees for a living or dangling from a rope to clean the windows of high buildings. If the injury happened in a fall from a height, the prospect of returning to work far above the ground might be too traumatic even to consider. Or it may be physically too strenuous. In this case, you may be eligible to claim funds to retrain so that you can change your career and earn a living.
What can you do if your workplace injury is severe?
Some workplace accidents can be so severe that you are left unable to work again due to disability or the associated pain. You need to think about this possibility. Be sure to seek legal advice to file a claim. Do not settle a worker’s compensation claim too quickly. You cannot be sure how well you will recover. You need to ensure that you consider all possibilities and receive fair compensation to suit your situation. Speaking with an experienced attorney is wise.