Temporary Partial & Total Disability for First Responders

Answer:

Oftentimes our first responders ask us how they get paid following a workers’ compensation injury. In workers’ compensation there’s several categories of indemnity or monetary benefits. We have broken those down into three specific indemnity benefits – temporary total disability benefits, temporary partial disability benefits, impairment benefits, and a fourth category called permanent total disability benefits. Temporary total and temporary partial disability benefits are very similar benefits where you’re either temporarily unable to return to duty as a first responder or you’re allowed to return to light duty but are not earning your full wages, which would result in temporary partial disability benefits to make you whole or to make your wages whole. Impairment benefits are benefits after you’re at maximum medical improvement and a doctor has said that you are as good as you’re going to get as a result of your injury. Workers’ compensation has an impairment guidebook that delineates an impairment rating for each type of injury, and that rating translates into monetary benefits. Permanent total disability benefits, again, are benefits that are post-MMI, or maximum medical improvement, and are benefits when an injured worker is permanently and totally disabled from returning back to work in any capacity. At Oliver and Fox, we can discuss with you your monetary benefits as it applies to temporary total, temporary partial impairment, and permanent total disability benefits. We invite you to call our office so that we can discuss that with you.