While the ultimate goal after a workplace injury is to help the worker return to work as quickly as possible, this is simply not possible for every injured worker. The longer a person is out of work, the lower his or her quality of life may be, and especially if that person is not getting the compensation he/she should receive. Many injured workers miss significant time from work, and some cannot return to full duty within their line of work, even after they recover. Therefore, it is important that injured workers’ know what type of compensation is available if they have to miss extended time from work.
We recommend you consult a workers’ compensation attorney like the ones at The Harris Firm in Blue Ash, Ohio. Changing your line of work is not something to be taken lightly. It is a significant life change that could have long-lasting effects on your financial livelihood and should only be considered after you have explored all your other options first.
Regardless of your ability to return to work, the Ohio workers’ compensation system provides many forms of benefits for all types of situations. Two of the most commonly used forms of compensation are Temporary Total Disability and Permanent Total Disability. These are for individuals who are either:
- A) Temporarily unable to return to work while they are receiving medical treatment and recovering, or
- B) Permanently unable to return to any type of work due to their injury.
If you are able to return to work, you will most likely no longer qualify for Temporary Total Disability benefits. However, you may still qualify for certain types of benefits. If, for instance, your physician releases you to work but you are unable to return to your former position, you may be eligible to receive wage loss benefits. If you are able to find work, whether in a different position or field or for fewer hours than you were working pre-injury, you may be entitled to working wage loss benefits. If your job is no longer available or you are for some other reason unable to obtain work at the time that your physician releases you, you may qualify for non-working wage loss benefits. You must meet certain requirements in order to receive both of these types of compensation.
If you have been hurt on the job and are facing a potential job change as a result of your injury, it is critical that you contact a workers’ compensation attorney immediately. At The Harris Firm, we will put our experience to work for you and guide you through this complicated process. Call us today.