If you”ve recently been injured in a workplace accident, it is important to understand your rights when dealing with workers’ compensation and receiving benefits. At Peck & Peck Attorneys At Law, our personal injury attorneys understand that workers’ compensation benefits are often only enough to “get by”; the system does not take into account medical expenses, emergencies or the curveballs life throws our way. Because of this, it is important you thoroughly understand your options for additional income, and that you are prepared should you need more than just your injury settlement to make it through the month.

Under workers’ compensation law, an injured employee is entitled to the following additional benefits:

• Temporary Disability: If you are unable to attend work for the short term due to medical reasons related to your work-related injury, you are entitled to temporary disability payments. These benefits are intended to compensate you for your lost wages. While you may only receive up to approximately two-thirds of your weekly gross pay, temporary disability is paid out every two weeks and helps significantly to supplement a reduced income.
• Permanent Disability: If you are unable to return to work permanently because of your work-related injury, you may be entitled to permanent disability. Permanent disability means that you have lost your ability to perform your job due to your injury. Several factors will be taken into consideration in the calculation of the amount of your disability benefits, including how much a limitation your injury places on your activities, your age, your occupation and your earnings at the time of your injury.
• Vocational Rehabilitation: If your ability to return to return to your previous position, our personal injury attorneys recommend filing for vocational rehabilitation. Vocational rehabilitation provides you with the assistance you need in getting another job, perhaps in another field, in the form of monetary compensation.
• Returning To Work: Our personal injury attorneys always recommend seeking legal advice before opting to go back to work while still receiving workers’ compensation benefits. If your employer pays you equal to or greater than what you were receiving when you were injured, your benefits will stop. If you experience a pay decrease due to your injury, you will still qualify for workers’ compensation benefits; however, they could offset your workers’ compensation, so your new wages and your workers’ compensation benefits are not much more than the benefits you were already receiving.
• Temporary Partial Disability Benefits: Temporary partial disability benefits (TPD) are available to those who are injured, but still able to earn some wages despite their disability. If you find yourself temporarily disabled due to a work injury, but feel that you can still work to some degree, you may be entitled to TPD benefits. The amount you will receive in TBD benefits is based on a percentage difference between your pre- and post-injury earnings.
• Temporary Total Disability Benefits: Temporary total disability benefits (TTD) are available to those who are injured and temporarily prohibited from working as a result of their injury. If you qualify for TTD benefits, your benefits will are based on a percentage of your pre-injury wages.

At Peck & Peck Attorneys At Law, our accident lawyers want to ensure you understand your rights under workers’ compensation law so that you may receive the benefits you need to maintain a comfortable lifestyle. If you were recently involved in a workplace accident, don’t take any chances, and call our Hartford law firm at (860) 236-4782 to schedule a free legal consultation. Visit our website to learn more.