When on-the-job accidents and injuries occur, it can have a devastating impact on your health as well as your financial security. As the result of the injuries you sustained, you may be dealing with lost wages and the inability to work, while facing heavy medical expenses for ongoing care and treatment. In these situations, worker’s compensation benefits can be a lifeline in terms of providing the help you need while you recover from your injuries.
Benefits Available Through Workers’ Compensation
According to the latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), more than 70,000 on-the-job accidents and injuries occur year in the state of Virginia. While some jobs are just naturally more dangerous than others, work-related injuries can happen to anyone, regardless of their position or the job field they are in. Even something as simple as reaching objects on high shelves or picking up a large package the wrong way can leave you suffering serious and potentially permanent impairments.
Fortunately, when these injuries occur, workers’ compensation benefits are available to help you recover. Administered through the Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission, the program offers the following types of benefits:
Wage Replacement
If your injuries prevent you from returning to work, wage replacement benefits are available at a rate of up to two thirds your usual earnings.
Medical Expenses
Medical benefits are available to cover the costs of your ongoing care and treatment. Employers may offer several physicians for you to choose from, or you may be able to go to your own provider.
Permanent Partial Impairment
When you suffer permanent disfigurement or the loss of body part or faculty as the result of an on-the-job injury, permanent partial impairment benefits provide financial compensation.
Permanent and Total Disability
When your injuries result in permanent disabilities that prevent you from working now and in the future, these benefits provide compensation based on your previous earnings.
Vocational Rehabilitation
If your injuries are not completely disabling but they prevent you from returning to your previous position, you may be eligible for vocational rehabilitation and job retraining.
Death Benefits
In the unfortunate event a loved one dies as the result of on-the-job injuries, death benefits are available for surviving family members. While no amount of money can make up for the loss of a loved one, these benefits can help with burial expenses and compensation for future losses in income, providing the financial security your family member would have wanted you to have.
We Can Help You Today
If you have suffered a job-related injury, contact Hampton Injury Law today. Our experienced Suffolk workers’ compensation attorney can advise you on the types of benefits you may be entitled to, while helping to assist you in the procedures required to ensure your claim gets approved. Call or contact our office online today to request a free consultation.
