Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Types of Injuries
Permanent Total Disability
WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BENEFITS
Injured workers in Springfield, Joplin, and throughout Missouri are typically entitled to three main categories of benefits: Medical Treatment and expenses, Lost wages, and Permanent Partial Disability.
Medical Treatment
Your employer and their insurance company, under Missouri law, control(s) the medical treatment you receive after being injured on the job. Insurers should promptly provide you all necessary medical treatment, which can include prescriptions, physical therapy, steroid injections, examination by a specialist in your type of injury, and surgery.
Often, insurance companies try to minimize their expenses by limiting the medical treatment you receive or overruling their doctors. The Pitts Law Firm is here to ensure you receive the medical treatment you need to fully recover from your injury, return to work, and resume your life.
Lost Wages/Temporary Total Disability
The worker’s compensation insurer is responsible for paying for the time you miss from work after an injury. This is known as Temporary Total Disability (“TTD”) and should be paid when your employer is unable to accommodate the work restrictions provided by your physician. TTD is owed until you reach maximum medical improvement and are released from medical treatment. Compensation is based on two-thirds (66.6%) of your earnings in the 13-weeks prior to your injury.
Unsurprisingly, many insurance companies will attempt to underpay your TTD benefits in a variety of ways, including using estimated rather than actual wages and the wrong timeframe. At the Pitts Law Firm, we work to maximize the compensation you receive while recovering from your injury.
Permanent Partial Disability
After being released from medical treatment, injured workers in Springfield, Joplin, and Missouri are entitled to a settlement for the permanent effects of that injury. This is intended to compensate you for things like loss of strength and range of motion, inability to return to your previous job or career, and diminished enjoyment of hobbies and activities with friends and family.
In many cases, the doctor working for the insurer will provide a rating that assesses a percentage of disability. That rating has been paid for by the insurer and frequently understates the extent of your injury. The Pitts Law Firm strives to ensure that you receive the maximum permanent partial disability recovery for your injury. This may include referring you to the best possible physician to accurately assess your percentage of disability.
Learn about types of injuries. Learn more about Permanent Total Disability.
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