Being injured at work is a difficult thing to go through. You know you deserve the benefits that workers’ compensation can give you, especially after talking about it with co-workers. However, you are still wondering how the money would come to you or when you’d even get it. This information is not that easy to find if you don’t know where to look. Let’s take a closer look at how you are awarded the benefits you deserve and when you should expect that money.
How Are the Benefits Paid Out to Me?
There are a few ways that the workers’ compensation benefits are paid out to you. You have these options, depending on what your needs are:
- Medical or hospitalization benefits are when your medical bills are paid for by your workers’ comp. It will pay for any hospital stays, surgery, nursing services, medications, assistive devices like crutches, or even prosthetics.
- Disability benefits are what you get when you are unable to work because of your workplace injuries. This includes any wages you are missing out on because you are recovering from the injuries you sustained at work. If you are temporarily disabled but can still work in some capacity, you are entitled to 66% of the difference between the wage you earned before the injury and the wage you are earning now. You can also earn compensation from a permanent disability, even if you are completely disabled or only partially disabled.
- Wage reimbursement is what you are entitled to when you are required to attend a medical evaluation by either your insurance company or workers’ compensation officials. You are entitled to compensation for the time it takes you to get to and from the evaluation.
- Vocational benefits are designed to help you retain a position that is different from the one you were working before your injury. You are entitled to this compensation if you are unable to perform the duties of the job you retained before your workplace accident. Vocational benefits include getting compensated for vocational assessment, counseling, job training, job placement, and resume/interview services.
When Are the Benefits of Being Paid Out?
You must file the claim within 2 years of the accident to be awarded any compensation. You can file by sending a Form 18 in the mail to the NC Industrial Commission.
For more help understanding your benefits, contact our Greenville workers’ compensation lawyers at Ricci Law Firm Injury Lawyers, P.A. Call us at (252) 777-2222, or fill out an online case evaluation form here.