How Much Can I Receive Through Worker's Compensation?

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If you have experienced an injury that prevents you from working, worker's compensation insurance is likely the only option available to you that will allow you to receive a regular income. Because of this, how much you will receive is something that you may be concerned about. There are many factors that will affect how much you will ultimately earn from worker's compensation insurance.

What You Are Entitled To

Through a worker's compensation insurance program, workers are generally entitled to the payment of medical bills, vocational rehabilitation, impairment benefits, and weekly compensation. Workers are not provided benefits for pain and suffering. The program is not designed to provide a payout for damages unlike a personal injury claim. Instead, the worker's compensation insurance programs are designed to protect the worker's income. However, if the pain that you are experiencing is so severe that you are unable to work, this can lead to you being entitled to weekly compensation.

Weekly Compensation

You will receive weekly compensation benefits to make up for lost wages. How long these weekly benefits will last is based on the type of benefits you have and the state that you live in. Each state has maximum weekly compensation rates. The maximum weekly worker's compensation rate can be used when the literal worker's compensation rate is not known and when the the alleged rate that is pending verification has not been provided.

Permanent Vs. Temporary Disability

In order to determine for how long you will receive benefits, it is important to determine whether you have permanent or temporary disability. Those who have permanent disability will be able to receive benefits indefinitely. However, those who have temporary disability have not reached a point where it is not possible to see improvements. For these individuals, the maximum length of time in which a recipient can take payments can be as long as seven years, but varies from state to state.

Reaching A Better Settlement

If you believe that the amount you are receiving is not fair, make sure that you do not sign your worker's compensation agreement. Once it has been signed, it cannot be undone. Instead, have the agreement looked over by a worker's compensation attorney. Only after you have determined that you will be receiving a fair amount should you sign the agreement. You may be able to proceed with a hearing or trail in order to receive a larger worker's compensation settlement.

For more information, you will want to get in touch with a reputable workers comp attorney.


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