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When working a dangerous job forces you to take medical leave

On Behalf of | Dec 12, 2022 | Workers' Compensation |

You work in a high-risk occupation, like manufacturing or meat packing. You do physically-demanding labor but at least earn a fair wage. Unfortunately, some people employed in dangerous professions will find themselves hurt on the job and in need of time off to heal. You can’t use a knife on a meat processing line safely when you have limitations on your strength and range of motion, for example.

Sometimes, work-related injuries are so serious that the employees must stop working altogether or change professions and pursue a lower-paying occupation. For example, a construction worker who falls or suffers a back injury may need to move into a new profession, like retail customer service work.

What happens when you need to leave your current employment because of the risks inherent to your job?

You can request workers’ compensation benefits

Anyone struggling with a work-related medical condition has the potential right to request benefits through workers’ compensation. The most common benefits include health coverage and disability pay. If you require a leave of absence, you can potentially receive short-term disability benefits for as long as you are away from your job.

Workers’ compensation may pay up to two-thirds of your average weekly wage until you return to your job. For those who must leave their jobs and cannot continue working at all, there is total, permanent disability pay available. There are also permanent partial disability benefits that assist those who can continue working but must accept a lower-paying job.

The medical benefits available through workers’ compensation are particularly useful, as they cover 100% of someone’s treatment costs until they reach maximum medical improvement. In some cases where workers must change their profession, workers’ compensation may also provide vocational rehabilitation benefits that help them move into another competitively compensated profession despite their injury-related limitations.

Claiming benefits protects your entire family

As someone with a medical issue related to your job, you may have more of a struggle providing for your family in the future. Workers’ compensation benefits will help reduce the financial struggles that your family will have to endure related to your recent injury on the job.

Claiming workers’ compensation benefits can facilitate a quicker and more complete recovery for those who need time off after getting injured while working.

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