Any worker who gets hurt on the job in Florida could file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. Their employer’s insurance company will typically have to pay for their medical costs and possibly for some of their missed wages if the injury or medical condition is severe enough to keep the applicant away from their job.
Most of the time, with care and a chance to recuperate, workers can get back to their former position relatively quickly. Sadly, for a small minority of workers’ compensation claims, the injury that they suffer at work or the illness they acquire will have permanent implications.
Workers’ compensation claims are never easy, but they are particularly complex when an employee will have life-long losses because of a medical condition acquired on the job.
What is available to those with long-term injuries?
Anyone who misses work because of a job-acquired medical condition may qualify for short-term disability benefits through workers’ compensation. Some applicants will need more support because their condition will never truly go away. Traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries and even repetitive stress injuries might leave someone unable to keep working the same kind of job.
Severe conditions might mean someone can’t work at all in the future, possibly qualifying them for permanent, total disability benefits. Those who can still work but who can’t earn the same wage or perform the same skilled tasks they once did could qualify for job rehabilitation or reemployment services that help them seek new jobs or even train them for more competitive skills.
Workers could possibly also qualify for permanent partial disability benefits. These benefits compensate someone for the difference between the wages they once earned and what they can currently make with the effects of their medical condition on their job prospects.
Long-term benefits claims often require more help
Applying for long-term benefits often requires more documentation and care, as the insurance company will carefully scrutinize every detail. Workers may also have an increased risk for denied claims and the need to appeal. Even settlement offer may require assistance to ensure that they adequately protect someone and won’t leave them with hundreds of thousands of dollars in long-term financial losses.
If you face a serious workers’ compensation battle because of a long-term claim, you may need to ask for help.
