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What started as a regular day on the job can change your life drastically after a workplace injury or illness. You might be suffering from the negative effects of an unexpected accident, or your health problems have been getting worse over time. No matter the case, you need relief, fast.
Thankfully, the State of Connecticut requires businesses to carry a type of mandatory insurance called Workers’ Compensation. This coverage is in place to protect workers in the case of a work-related injury or illness.
Although it is mandatory for businesses to carry this coverage, the process to file a claim can be difficult and anything but fast. On the other hand, you can benefit from consulting with a lawyer experienced in effectively handling workers’ comp cases with speed and accuracy.
If you think you might have a Connecticut workers’ compensation claim, contact Gould Injury Law today at 888-WIN-FAST for a free consultation. Our experienced legal team can provide you the advice you need so you can receive fair compensation as fast as possible.
Some Facts About Workers’ Compensation Benefits
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- Workers’ comp is a type of no-fault insurance. Therefore, even if you played a role in your workplace injury or illness (e.g. you made a mistake that led to the incident), you can generally still receive the benefits. One of our Connecticut work comp attorneys can help you understand if you are eligible for a claim.
- Benefits start on the 4th day after the accident. Unless an injury or illness affects a workers’ ability to work for more than 7 calendar days, workers’ comp benefits start on the 4th calendar day after the accident. Imagine you were injured Monday morning, and left work for treatment. If you were able to return fully by Friday, there would be no work comp benefits available to you.
- You can receive benefits during a job search. If your doctor clears you for “light duty” and your current employer doesn’t have any such work available, you can search for different work within your abilities. In the meantime, while you search for a new job, you can receive the same workers’ compensation benefits as you would if you were unable to work at all.
How Much Compensation is Available Through Work Comp?
The amount of compensation you can receive through a workers’ comp claim depends on the extent of your injuries or illness. The Workers’ Compensation Commission (WCC) of Connecticut has 4 categories of disabilities resulting from a workplace event:
- Temporary Total Disability
- Temporary Partial Disability
- Permanent Total Disability
- Permanent Partial Disability
To receive the compensation you deserve as fast as possible, schedule a free consultation with the legal team at Gould Injury Law. We are committed to doing what is necessary to get you back on your feet – fast and easy.
Temporary total disability
If you are unable to work at all during your recovery, you can qualify for Temporary Total Disability (TTD) compensation. This allows you to receive 75 percent of your weekly taxed wages before the injury. There is a maximum though – the state average weekly wage for the year you were injured, which for 2020-2021 is $1373.
Imagine your average weekly wages before your accident was $2000, and during your recovery, you are unable to work at all. You would be eligible to receive 75 percent of those wages, or $1500. Because this is over the maximum, you could only receive $1373 per week.
Temporary partial disability
Let’s say that during your recovery, you are able to do some work, but you have to work fewer hours or even a different job due to your injuries. If this is the case, you can still receive Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) compensation.
You can receive 75 percent of the difference between your pre-accident wages and current wages (after taxes). There’s a maximum for these benefits as well, which is the state average weekly wage for the manufacturing industry, which for 2020-2021 was $1174.
Let’s say your average weekly wages before the accident were the same as above – $2000. But while recovering, you can only work reduced hours, making $500 each week. Calculating 75 percent of the difference between your current weekly wages and before the accident ($1500), you could receive $1125 per week.
Permanent partial disability
After a certain amount of time, your attending physician might decide that you have reached Maximum Medical Improvement. This means that, even with continued medical treatment, your condition is unlikely to improve.
If you have a body part or organ that has been permanently damaged by a workplace injury or illness, you are eligible for the TTD compensation amount for a certain number of weeks, depending on the body part. The length of time you can receive corresponds to the percentage of damage sustained.
For example, according to the WCC, complete loss of hearing in both ears allows for 104 weeks of PPD compensation. So, if you suffered a 50 percent loss of hearing, you could receive 52 weeks of compensation.
Permanent total disability
In the event of a severe injury or illness, you might not be able to return to work at all. For example, if you lost the use of both arms or legs, or were blinded, WCC in Connecticut would view your condition as a permanent total disability. There may be other injuries or impairments that could make you eligible for permanent total disability benefits, according to your doctor’s diagnosis.
Connecticut Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
After suffering a workplace injury or illness, you are most likely overwhelmed and are looking for a way to get help fast. Suddenly, you might be worried about how you will support your family. Tasks you accomplished easily before have now become difficult, perhaps even impossible.
At Gould Injury Law, we understand that the effects of a workplace injury or illness extend beyond your work, and we are here to help you receive the compensation you deserve. Filing a Workers’ Compensation claim may seem to be straightforward. But the process can become long and drawn out, or the insurance company can find ways to deny or minimize your claim.
When you work with one of our attorneys, you can be sure that you have an experienced professional on your side who can help you protect your legal rights faster than the other guys can. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation consultation so you can get help as fast as possible.