What Does Workers Compensation Include?
If you file a workers’ compensation claim after a work injury in Nebraska, workers’ compensation will pay your injury-related medical bills and, if necessary, it may pay disability benefits and vocational rehabilitation benefits.
Workers’ compensation laws are meant to protect workers from suffering financial losses because of sustaining injuries at work. You do not have to prove that the injury resulted from your employer’s negligence in order to receive workers’ compensation benefits. If the injury happened at your workplace while you were on the clock or engaged in work tasks, then it is your employer’s responsibility to pay for the expenses associated with your injury. The rationale is that you should not have to pay out of your own pocket for the treatment of injuries that you sustained while working for your employer. The good news is that all employers except the smallest ones must carry workers’ compensation insurance. The bad news is that an insurance company’s first priority is its own bottom line, and it is a challenge to get your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance to pay for all of your injury-related expenses. An Omaha workers’ compensation lawyer can help you get fair compensation for your workers’ compensation claim.
Medical Benefits
The most basic purpose of workers’ compensation benefits is to pay for your medical bills arising from the work injury. These expenses can include the following:
- Doctors’ office visits
- Hospital stays
- Inpatient or outpatient surgeries
- Lab tests
- Diagnostic imaging
- Prescription drugs
- Medical devices
- Physical therapy
- Reasonable travel expenses related to medical treatment
Injured workers often disagree with workers’ comp insurance companies about which symptoms are related to the work injury and which treatment is medically necessary to treat the injury. A workers’ compensation lawyer can help you resolve these disputes.
Indemnity Benefits, Also Known as Disability Benefits
You may be eligible for indemnity benefits, also known as disability benefits, if you are unable to perform your job duties for an extended period because of your work injury. These benefits cover a portion of your pre-injury wages or salary. The various types of indemnity benefits include temporary partial disability, temporary total disability, permanent partial disability, and permanent total disability.
Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits
If your work injury leaves you permanently unable to do the job you used to do before the work accident, workers’ compensation benefits can pay for vocational rehabilitation. This benefit pays for your career counseling, training for a job you are physically able to perform in your current state of health, and assistance with your job search. Injured workers sometimes disagree with vocational rehabilitation counselors about the kinds of jobs they can expect to find or whether they are able to return to the workforce at all.
Contact Andres Law Offices, PC LLO About Accidental Injuries at Work in Omaha Nebraska
An Omaha workers’ compensation lawyer can help you get the workers’ compensation benefits you need after getting injured on the job. Contact Andres Law Offices, PC LLO in Omaha, Nebraska about your case.