Workers’ Comp Coverage for First Responders

Answer:

I’m often asked by injured workers what benefits would be provided by workers’ compensation and if it’s worthwhile to file a workers’ comp claim. Workers’ comp provides medical care and lost wages, and then impairment benefits if you do have an injury. What that means is they provide a doctor, a primary care physician, specialist, the testing, anything that you may require until you’re placed at maximum medical improvement and they pay it at 100%. While a doctor has you on light duty or no work, they have to pay part of your income, and that’s temporary total or temporary partial disability benefits. It alleviates the need to use your own sick/vacation time, PTO time. It’s time that and money benefits that the statute that the legislature has granted to you as well as with impairment benefits – they pay you for your injury. Impairment benefits can be relatively small or significant sums, over six-figures. Also, if you’re unable to return to work and enter the workforce in any capacity, you may be entitled to permanent total disability, which means the employer or the insurance company may need to continue paying you until your age 75. There are many benefits that are available and need to be taken or acted upon while they are right and available, as if you don’t act, the statute of limitations may run and you may not have the ability to make a claim later when you realize how bad your injury actually is. At Oliver and Fox, we’d be very happy to review this with you, review what benefits are available to you, and if it makes sense for you to file a claim regarding your career and how it may impact it. Please call us for a free evaluation. We’d be happy to speak with you.