The principal types of benefits which you may be entitled to are: payments to your doctors and other health care providers, compensation if you are unable to work, compensation if you are unable to earn your pre-injury wages, and death benefits for the families of those who die as a result of their work injuries.

Medical benefits include all necessary medical, surgical and hospital services, supplies, nursing care, and such items as crutches and artificial limbs. If you are unhappy with the treatment or the doctor provided, you may request a one-time change of physicians through the insurance company. Your request should be in writing. You must obtain authority from your employer or the insurance company before seeing any physician the first time, or you may be responsible for the cost of unauthorized treatment. Please be sure your doctor understands that your bills are being paid under workers' compensation.

If you are able to return to work and earn the same wages being earned at the time of injury, you may still be due compensation, which is called Impairment Benefits, if your doctor says you have a permanent impairment.

No compensation is payable for the first seven (7) days of disability, unless you are disabled for at least 21 days. If so, you will receive checks from the beginning of your disability. Such benefits, called Temporary Total Disability benefits, are payable every two weeks and continue until you are able to return to work on at least a light duty basis.

Once your doctor releases you to return to work, you may continue to receive weekly checks, called Temporary Partial Disability benefits, if your doctor states you have at least one work-related restriction but you have not reached maximum medical improvement (MMI), AND you are unable to earn your pre-injury wages. If you are unable to return to the same employer, then you should perform a job search looking for work within your restrictions.

When your doctor states that you have reached maximum medical improvement, you may receive biweekly Impairment Benefits if your doctor states that you have a permanent impairment from the work injury. Permanent Impairment benefits are paid at 75% of the compensation rate (2/3 of AWW) for 2 weeks per percent of impairment up to 10%; 3 weeks per percentage point from 11% to 15%; 4 weeks per percentage point from 16% to 20%; and 6 weeks per percentage point from 21% and higher. If your injuries were before 10/01/03 consult an attorney regarding that formula.