If your employer purchased coverage under a workers’ compensation plan for you, you should have access to various benefits in the aftermath of a work-related injury or illness. Determining exactly what benefits you should be entitled to can be a deceptively complicated process because insurance providers can have different opinions about the severity of your injury or illness.
When you think you may be able to file a claim for a work-related accident or sickness, understanding your workers’ compensation benefits in Torrance is helpful to ensure you get the full amount you deserve. Let our skilled workers’ compensation attorneys help you maximize your benefits.
In Torrance, benefits for workers’ compensation should provide reimbursement for all expenses related to necessary medical care to allow an injured or sick worker to reach maximum medical improvement. This coverage includes not just evaluations by health care providers and all treatments and surgeries they provide, but also:
It is worth emphasizing that workers’ compensation benefits should cover medical treatment in perpetuity. This means that even services an injured or sick worker needs years in the future should still be reimbursed.
Any employee in Torrance covered by workers’ compensation benefits who is hospitalized overnight or cannot work for three or more days following an on-the-job accident or illness is eligible for temporary disability benefits. This compensation will be paid weekly and will generally equal about two-thirds of the injured worker’s average weekly wage prior to getting hurt or sick.
These benefits will end once the employee returns to work or has reached maximum medical improvement as determined by their doctor(s). However, they could last up to 104 weeks in the five years following their injury or illness or up to 240 weeks for certain injuries and illnesses.
Workers who are unable to return to their previous jobs or are unable to hold gainful employment due to a work-related injury or illness may be eligible for permanent disability benefits. The value and duration of compensation depends on the worker’s disability rating. For instance, if someone becomes severely disabled through a workplace accident, they could potentially receive life pension payments in addition to permanent disability benefits, which can only last for a maximum of 14 years.
Workers who need job retraining services may be eligible for a $6,000 voucher for items including tuition, textbooks, and other education-related fees. In Torrance, if someone passes away due to a job-related accident or illness, their surviving spouse or dependents could receive reimbursement for funeral and burial expenses as well as other death-related coverage through the decedent’s workers’ compensation benefits.
If you want to maximize your workers’ compensation benefits in Torrance, you will need help from seasoned legal counsel.
Our capable attorneys can provide custom-tailored guidance and offer you support throughout the claims process so you have the best chance for a positive outcome. Call us today for a free consultation.
