What if You Cannot Return to a Physically Demanding Job After a Work Injury?
If your work injury renders you permanently unable to do the physically demanding tasks you were performing when you got injured, workers’ compensation may pay for vocational rehabilitation or partial disability benefits.
Most professional athletes retire before they reach their mid-40s, and not just the ones who have made so much money that they can afford to retire or invest the money in other business ventures. If you drive past a construction site, you will notice that the workers climbing on beams and lifting heavy loads by hand are on the younger side. The world’s most physically demanding jobs are such that our bodies can only stand to do them for so long. Work injuries are almost inevitable during a career in occupations such as construction or mining. A major injury or a series of minor injuries might mean that your days of climbing ladders and heavy lifting are behind you. When a worker suffers a serious injury that requires a long period of recovery, workers’ compensation should pay not only for medical treatment but also to help the employee find a less physically demanding job and provide the necessary training. To find out more about vocational rehabilitation in workers’ compensation cases, contact an Omaha workers’ compensation lawyer.
Training for a New Job When You Can No Longer Do Your Old Job Because of a Work Injury
When a doctor determines that you have reached maximum medical improvement, you may or may not be able to return to your previous job. You may need to find a new job that you can perform in your current state of health. For example, if you can no longer stand for long periods, climb ladders, or lift heavy loads, then you will not be able to go back to your previous job stocking shelves in a warehouse. If this happens you may be able to consult a vocational rehabilitation counselor, who will conduct an assessment to see what kinds of jobs you are capable of doing. In the above example, you might be able to do a job where you spend most of your workday driving or sitting at a desk.
Of course, finding a job is not easy, even for young, healthy people who have recently graduated from college. To qualify for a job that pays anywhere near what your old job paid, you might need additional training; you might even need to complete a certification program that takes a year or more before you can do paid work in your new field. A workers’ compensation lawyer can help you navigate the vocational process to see find out that the best option is for your case.
Contact Andres Law Offices, PC LLO About Workers’ Compensation Claim Disputes
An Omaha workers’ compensation lawyer can help you resolve disputes about your ability to work after a serious work injury. Contact Andres Law Offices, PC LLO in Omaha, Nebraska about your case.