If you miss time from work because of a work-related accident, you are
entitled to collect worker’s compensation benefits for your
lost wages. State laws require employers to pay for at least a portion of their employees
missed wages while they are recovering from an injury. This is known as
“time-loss compensation” or “temporary disability”
payments. How your benefit amount is calculated depends on different factors,
such as the average of what you were making prior to your accident. This
is called your “average weekly wage.”
Your employers’ insurance carrier is typically responsible for sending
your lost wages check. If the doctor overseeing treatment for your injury
deems that you will be unable to return to work at all, you will get paid
at what is known as the “temporary total disability” rate.
Unless you qualify for catastrophic disability benefits, the pay rate
will be 2/3 of your average weekly wage. Usually when your doctor places
work restrictions on you that your employer can’t meet, you get
awarded temporary partial disability benefits. This kind of benefit pays
out 64% of your average weekly wage.
Temporary benefits paid out by insurance carriers usually last until the
following things occur:
- You reach maximum medical improvement from your injury
- You are able to make at least 80% of what you were making at the time of
the accident
- The workers' compensation doctor places you at full duty
After your temporary benefits end, you are unlikely to receive any further
monetary compensation for your lost wages. However, there exceptions to
this are best explained by a qualified and experienced attorney.
Do you have more questions about obtaining workers’ comp benefits
to cover your lost wages? We can help. At the Law Offices of Wax &
Wax, we have over 100 + years of combined legal experience. Our team of
lawyers are familiar with workers’ comp cases and we are prepared
to fight for your right to secure the compensation that you deserve. Let
us put our skills to work for you today.
Contact our Glendale workers’ compensation attorneys
to get started on your case today.