If you are injured on the job, you will likely have questions about workers’ compensation. Protecting or enforcing your rights may be difficult if you don’t know what coverage or benefits you are entitled to.
A smart move is to contact a West Palm Beach Construction Accident lawyer for help with your situation. You can also find answers to common questions here.
Are You Required to Pay Accident-Related Medical Bills?
Workers’ compensation coverage offers an important benefit: you receive full payment of your medical costs. You shouldn’t have to pay any bills related to treatment that is medically necessary for a work-related injury. Even the smallest copays should be covered or waived when you receive treatment and then be paid by your employer’s insurer.
There is a catch in some situations. The insurer may argue that the medical treatment you received was unnecessary. Workers’ compensation insurance won’t cover any type of elective treatment. If an insurance company wants to reduce its costs, it may try to prohibit certain treatments by claiming they are unnecessary. This happens even in situations where a doctor recommends it.
Hiring a West Palm Beach Construction Accident lawyer means you have someone fighting for your rights and working to help you receive the treatment you need to help you fully recover from your injuries.
Will You Receive Wage Replacement Benefits from Workers’ Compensation Insurance?
If your injury only causes you to miss seven or fewer workdays, you won’t receive lost wage compensation. However, on the eighth day, you can begin receiving a percentage of your usual wages via a benefit check. If you can’t work for over 21 days, then it’s possible to get back pay for the wages you didn’t receive the first seven days after your injury.
Usually, you will receive your benefits check every two weeks. If you are determined eligible for wage replacement, you can receive 66 2/3% of your average weekly pay. This amount is determined (in most cases) by averaging your payment amount for the 13 weeks before your injury occurred.
The amount can be changed if you worked just 75% of the days (or under) during the 13 weeks referenced. The adjustment will reflect what someone in a similar position and paid a similar amount would have received in the 13 weeks if they worked over 75% of the total days.
Will Your Pay Benefits be Taxed?
If you receive benefits checks, they are not taxable. This means you won’t lose any of the money to income taxes. However, you can be taxed if you come back to work under modified expectations and still receive benefits checks. The taxes will only apply to what you earn for working, not your benefits.
Hire an Attorney for More Help and Information
Contact a West Palm Beach construction accident lawyer if you have more questions about workers’ compensation benefits. They can answer your questions and ensure you receive the benefits you are entitled to after an on-the-job accident and injury.