What Does Workers’ Comp Cover? What You Need to Know About Your Benefits

Have you been injured at work? It’s time to ask yourself, “What does workers’ comp cover?”

There are things that workers comp will cover and other things that you’ll have to pay for on your own. Fortunately, we can help you sift through the facts and fictions of the workers’ comp process in this article.

Today, we’re going to look at what workers comp covers. To get on the road to recovery, you need to understand what treatments and benefits you’re entitled to. Don’t go through this process in the dark, let us show you the way.

Medical Expenses

Medical expenses are often the most costly component of an on-the-job injury. Obviously, the costs depend on what happened and how severe it is, but this will likely be the feature of your workers’ comp claim.

A workers’ comp doctor will be assigned to help you discern which injuries resulted from the accident and how they’ll impact you moving forward. This is helpful in coming up with a determination of how much you’ll need to cover expenses and when you’ll be able to go back to work, which brings us to the next point.

Lost Wages

Lost wages due to your recovery period should also be covered by your workers’ compensation. Depending on the injury, you could be off work for weeks or even months. Since you can’t work, you’ll need some form of income to pay for your rent, mortgage, food, and other living expenses.

The workers’ comp payout won’t always cover the entirety of your lost wages, but it’ll usually give you a high percentage of what you’d otherwise be earning.

Ongoing Care

Some injuries will require ongoing care to properly deal with the issue. For example, if an employee badly breaks their leg in an accident, they’ll need ongoing physical therapy to be able to get back into shape. Workers’ comp will have to cover the costs of these treatments.

Disability

In the event of a very serious injury that causes permanent disability, workers’ comp will end up covering the ongoing cost of medical expenses and at least some of the missing wages through disability benefits.

Illness

In some scenarios, a workplace can expose their employees to harmful chemicals and allergens that cause illness. While these employees are being treated for their injuries, however extensive, they’re entitled to workers’ comp to cover medical expenses and lost wages.

Repetitive Injuries

These workers’ comp injuries don’t always have to result in a broken limb, exposure to chemicals, or death. They can sometimes be minor things that build up over time. For instance, if you work in an office and your conditions aren’t ergonomically sound, you may develop carpal tunnel syndrome over time.

In situations where your repetitive work tasks result in an injury, they should also be covered by workers’ comp they require treatment like any other injury or illness.

What Does Workers’ Comp Cover?

After a workplace injury, a lot of folks are left asking, “What does workers’ comp cover?” It’s important that each and every employee understands what they’re entitled to so that they don’t try and take on recovery by themselves. This program is in place for everyone’s benefit.

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