What benefits does workers’ compensation pay?

Posted in Our Blog on November 19, 2015

Injured Louisiana workers can often seek financial help by filing a workers’ compensation claim. Generally, if the injuries happened while the worker was performing his or her job duties, then the person can qualify for a variety of benefits.

The workers’ compensation benefits that a worker can receive will depend on the extent and nature of his or her injuries. For example, if the worker is unable to return to work due to the injuries, then replacement income may be sought. Although the replacement income will be less than the workers’ original income (usually about two-thirds the original wage), the workers’ compensation payments will be tax exempt, so the injured person may actually be receiving close to the same amount of money in take home pay.

In addition to wage replacement benefits, workers may also be able to receive money to pay for medical care relating to their injuries and illnesses. If the worker cannot perform the original job again, but could be retrained for another kind of employment, then benefits could be sought to pay for retraining for a new line of work. Benefits can also include compensation relating to permanent injuries and permanent disabilities as well.

In addition to benefits for the actual injured worker, if the worker suffers a fatal accident, then his or her survivors may be entitled to compensation as well. Survivors might qualify for wage replacement benefits and money to pay for end of life expenses, for example.

Louisiana residents who have questions about what kind of workers’ compensation benefits they may be eligible for may want to discuss their cases with an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer. This way, they can evaluate their situations and decide what their best next steps should be.