Missing Work Due To Injury? Workers’ Compensation Benefits May Be Available

When workers are injured on the job in Colorado, they may be surprised to learn of all of the requirements in place that they need to follow in order to receive workers’ compensation benefits. While the system can be complicated sometimes, it does provide assistance to those individuals unable to work due to a workplace injury.

Under the workers’ compensation system, workers are allowed to recover lost income benefits if they are unable to return to work for a period of time. There are several different types of these wages, and the amount of compensation will depend upon the severity of the injury or illness and the amount of time the employee will be out of work. The awards can be temporary, until the worker returns to the job, or permanent, if the individual is unable to work due to his or her condition.

Temporary awards are broken down into two specific categories. Workers may need medical treatment to recover from their injuries or illness. While they are out of work receiving this care, they may receive temporary total disability benefits that pay two-thirds of their average weekly wage. If the workers are able to return to their jobs on a part-time basis, temporary partial disability benefits will be available until they are able to work full-time again.

For more serious injuries and illnesses, there may be other types of compensation available. Lifetime income benefits are made available to those individuals who cannot return to work, or perform any other job, due to the injuries or illnesses they suffered while working. These benefits amount to two-thirds of the average weekly wage for the remainder of these workers’ lives.

The more serious and complex the injury or illness, the more difficult insurers may make for the workers to recover these important benefits. This can cause unnecessary delays, or even make the worker give up hope. Workers need to know that there are steps they can take to receive compensation while they are recovering.

If you are injured in a workplace accident, report the injuries to your supervisor immediately. Once you have received the necessary medical treatment, you may have questions about the next step of the process.

You should contact an experienced workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible after the accident. Your attorney can begin preparing your claims, and help you recover the benefits that you need while you are out of work. The compensation that is available to you will depend on the significance of your injuries, so it is important that you consult someone that knows how to process these claims.