What Should I Do After an Injury if I Can’t Return to Work?
When work accidents occur that lead to serious injuries, oftentimes employees are so severely injured that they cannot return to work. When this happens, injured employees are likely to be worried about losing their jobs and paying their bills. As a result, work injuries cause employees to have a lot of questions about getting workers’ compensation benefits in Florida and how to keep receiving those benefits if they cannot return to work.
Unable to Perform Work Due to On the Job Injury
In some instances, injuries can cause employees the inability to hold the same type of job they once did since they cannot perform the same type of work due to their injuries. However, sometimes these workers can return to work doing light duty work or another type of job that wouldn’t require the use of the injured body part. If this is the case, injured employees need to ask their employers if they have work for them that doesn’t require them to do things their doctor said they cannot do.
The workers’ compensation carrier involved should provide reemployment services to the injured worker since he or she cannot perform the usual line of work. These services could include training and education, vocational counseling, job-seeking skills training, job placement, and more. If the workers’ comp carrier does not provide these services, the injured employee can request these services from the Division of Workers’ Compensation, Employee Assistance and Ombudsman Office.
Getting the Benefits You Deserve After a Work Injury
If an injured worker cannot work at all following a work-related injury, which has been confirmed by a doctor, the injured employee can receive temporary total disability or temporary partial disability benefits. Unfortunately, these benefits only pay out a percentage and don’t provide 100% of the income an injured worker was used to making.
Once an injured worker has reached Maximum Medical Improvement, a doctor is saying that employee has reached the point in his or her recovery that it is as good as it’s going to get. When injured employees still have impairments and disabilities that make it impossible for them to work or causes them work restrictions, they may be entitled to receive money for their permanent impairments.
Because the workers’ compensation carrier involved will want employees to return to work, they will be looking out for their best interests and not the injured worker. This is why it is essential that if you have been injured and cannot return to work that you have an experienced workers’ compensation attorney involved from the very beginning of the process. Also, you may have a dispute with the insurance company for failing to pay the benefits you believe you are entitled to. Although you can file a Petition for Benefits with the Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims, it is in your best interest to have a lawyer represent you in your claim in order to get the best resolution possible.
For those employees who will never be able to work again, they need to be advised of their rights for Social Security disability. If you cannot return to work – temporarily or permanently – you should make sure you are getting all the benefits you deserve. Contact the Law Offices of David Benenfeld at 866-9 HELP NOW or 866-943-5766 to speak with a South Florida workers’ comp attorney today.
