Helping Employees with Claiming Temporary Benefits
Temporary disability provides your employees with payments to aid them in their recovery when they get inflicted with an injury during their job. Many of those who qualify for it do not realize it, and many of those who think they qualify for it do not actually meet the requirements!
In this article, we want to dive deeper into temporary disability to help you understand what it’s about and how employees can access it:
1. Qualifying for temporary disability
How do injured workers qualify for temporary disability? Once they file a valid workers' compensation claim for temporary disability and a doctor has deemed the injured worker unable to go back to work due to the injury, they may qualify for temporary disability.
However, what would happen if the insurance provider disagreed with the doctor's reports? If that's the case, they will need to look for a qualified medical evaluator and undergo an evaluation to prove the claims. This third party will be responsible for giving an unbiased opinion about their injury, and their decision will determine whether you qualify for temporary disability benefits or not.
2. When the injured workers receive temporary disability benefits
The first payment from the temporary disability benefit should start within two weeks after the doctor has deemed the injured worker unable to work and that they have filed for the benefit.
On that note, if the injury has stopped the employee from working for over two weeks, retroactive benefits will kick in starting the day they got injured. This type of benefit generally lasts 104 weeks in California, but depending on the specifics of the injury, employees can have up to 240 weeks' worth of retroactive payments.
3. Amount received from temporary disability benefits
The amount received from the temporary disability benefits will depend on the gross wages the employee is making. Generally, temporary disability benefits only pay two-thirds of the total wages. Take note that in California, there will be a maximum limit to the amount you an injured worker can receive, and that amount can change every year.
In other words, the amount injured workers get from your temporary disability benefit will differ from what others may receive. If you are looking to understand exactly just how much you injured workers get, working with a workers' compensation lawyer can help better understand what to expect out of it.
Conclusion
In summary, temporary disability benefits are something that can be accessed to provide injured workers with the money they would have earned if they were still working had they not been injured. It can help alleviate some of the financial burdens,
We highly recommend encouraging your employees on working with a professional lawyer who is an expert on the subject. Not only will they help to determine the amount they should be getting, this increases the chances of successfully qualifying for the benefits to ensure they get the financial support they need during their recovery.
Pacific Workers’ is the best workers' compensation team in Northern California, offering the support clients need to successfully claim the workers' compensation benefits. Contact us today at 800-606-6999 to get your free consultation!