Attorneys
Types of Benefits
Transcription
So what types of benefits are available in the Iowa workers compensation system. If you are able to prove that your injury is work related, then there are three basic types of benefits that you should receive. Please keep in mind that there are exceptions to these, so you should seek legal advice concerning the facts in your case. Number one, you have lifetime medical benefits for medical treatment, including doctors appointments, prescriptions, mileage, and other medical treatment related to your work injury. Your medical care is generally provided at the choice of your employer and or their insurance company, subject to some exceptions. If they send you to their doctors, then they are responsible for paying for all medical care necessary to treat your work injury that their doctors recommend. Also, you're entitled to be reimbursed rate of .555 dollars per mile, effective July 1, 2011. For all mileage you incur going to and from doctor's appointments, physical therapy visits, obtaining prescriptions and other medical care. Keep in mind that the amount you're reimbursed for mileage changes every July 1st. Number two, if their doctors say you are unable to work, or if you have restrictions, but your employer will not allow you to come back to work, then you should receive weekly payments called TTD, which stands for temporary total disability. These are the weekly payments made to you while you are healing after a work injury. If you are able to go back to your job, but because of either restrictions or lack of work, you are making less than when you were injured, you should receive TPD known as temporary partial disability overall, the TTD and TPD benefits are called healing period benefits. And these are only paid until such time as there's doctors say you have healed as much as possible and you have reached what is called MMI, which stands for maximum medical improvement. The third type of benefits are called permanent disability benefits. These are paid once you have reached MMI. If their doctors say that you have what is known as a permanent impairment rating, which is explained in more detail later on in this video. If your medical condition heels and you're left with no permanent problems, then you may not have a claim for permanent disability benefits. If you have a permanent impairment rating, and or permanent restrictions, then you are likely owed permanent disability benefits. However, keep in mind that if they voluntarily send you a workers compensation check, then you can cash it, so long as you have not entered into any settlement agreements and or are not required to sign any settlement documents as the condition for receiving the check. If you have questions about this, you should discuss this with an attorney who understands a specialized workers compensation laws to help you decide what you should do.
