When someone fall sick or is injured at work, a number of challenges arise. To begin with, there are medical expenses, and to compound that, there is loss of wages. In addition, rehabilitation and the return to work can be an arduous task in itself. Matters can be worse if the workplace injury or illness leads to death.
In order to somewhat mitigate these challenges, every state has its workers’ compensation program that provides certain benefits in the event of a work-related injury, illness or death. In New Jersey, the workers compensation program is under the state’s Department of Labor and Workforce Development.
What benefits are available?
Per the New Jersey workers’ compensation program, injured workers and dependents or survivors in the event of a death are entitled to certain benefits:
- Medical benefits: All necessary medical expenses that are needed to treat a workplace injury are covered by the employer’s insurance carrier.
- Temporary total disability benefits: A worker is eligible for these benefits if a workplace injury results in an injury that causes a worker to stay away from work for more than seven days.
- Permanent partial disability benefits: A worker is eligible for these benefits if a workplace injury causes a partial but a permanent disability.
- Permanent total disability benefits: A worker is eligible for these benefits if a workplace injury is so severe that the worker can never return to work.
- Death benefits: The dependents or survivors of a deceased worker are eligible for death benefits, which also includes costs for the funeral of the deceased worker.
Filing a workers compensation claim
In New Jersey, and elsewhere, workers compensation laws are clearly mentioned in the statutes. However, obtaining the compensation is often a challenge for injured workers and their families, especially when they are yet to come to terms with the reality.
In such situations, professional guidance from experienced workers’ compensation attorneys can prove to be helpful for workers and families. With the right guidance, navigation the workers’ compensation claim from beginning to the end may become somewhat simpler.