If you have suffered a workplace injury or disease, workers’ compensation benefits may provide financial compensation in the following forms:
Temporary disability benefits: these benefits are paid to employees who find themselves missing more than 3 days of work due to their injuries. Temporary total disability benefits are paid when you are completely unable to work temporarily, while temporary partial disability benefits are awarded when you are able to work, but have a reduced earning potential due to your injury.
Permanent partial disability benefits: if a part of your body such as a leg, eye, or arm is permanently disabled or disfigured, you can receive benefits for the loss of use of that body part. Determining the award you will receive depends on the body part that was disabled or disfigured.
Permanent total disability benefits: if you are rendered permanently and totally disabled as a result of your workplace injury or illness and are unable to return to work, workers’ compensation will provide you with two-thirds of your average weekly salary.
Medical benefits: workers’ compensation benefits will pay for medical expenses incurred in treating a workplace illness or injury.
Death benefits: workers’ compensation benefits do not stop at the death of a person who suffered a workplace illness or injury; following the workers’ death due to such an illness or injury, the employee’s spouse or children can be eligible to receive benefits on behalf of the deceased employee. In addition to partial wages, surviving dependents of a deceased employee are eligible for funeral and burial expenses for their deceased loved one.