After an injury at work, you may wonder where to turn to cover your medical bills, lost wages, and other losses. Luckily, there are several types of workers’ comp disability benefits you may be entitled to. To get help filing a claim, contact Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons for a free consultation with an Oklahoma workers’ compensation lawyer.
Medical Coverage Benefits
What are medical coverage benefits?
- Medical coverage benefits pay for any reasonable and necessary medical costs you incur due to your work-related injury or illness.
- In Oklahoma, your employer can choose your treating physician within five days of receiving notice of your work injury.
Who is eligible for medical coverage benefits?
- Most Oklahoma employees are eligible for medical benefits, except certain workers like federal workers, real estate workers, and independent contractors.
- Employees who sustain work-related injuries or illnesses during their occupational duties are entitled to benefits.
- Injuries due to intoxication, recreational activities, or pre-existing conditions are not covered.
Example: A retail store employee trips and falls while walking down a cluttered aisle to help a customer, breaking their wrist. An eligible employee with a compensable injury is entitled to coverage for doctor’s visits, medical devices, and medications for treating the wrist.
Disability Benefits
What are disability benefits?
Disability benefits replace a portion of any wages lost due to a job injury or occupational disease.
- Temporary total disability (TTD) benefits and temporary partial disability (TPD) benefits cover workers who suffer partially or fully disabling injuries for a short time.
- Permanent total disability (PTD) benefits and permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits cover workers who suffer permanent, partially, or fully disabling injuries.
- Disability benefits replace 70 percent of an injured employee’s pre-accident average weekly wage (AWW) if the employee cannot work. Benefits cover 70 percent of the difference between their pre- and post-accident AWW if they can only work in a reduced capacity. These payments are subject to a state-established cap
Who is eligible for disability benefits?
- Workers whose occupational conditions prevent them from doing their jobs can get benefits after three days of missed work.
- Disabled workers may only draw disability benefits for a limited time. For instance, TTD benefits are available for a maximum of 104 weeks, while PTD benefits are available for up to 15 years.
Example: A construction worker loses their left foot when it gets crushed in a forklift accident on a job site. A foot amputation is a scheduled loss under Oklahoma workers’ comp law. Therefore, the employee is eligible for PPD benefit payments for a maximum of 220 weeks.
Rehabilitation Benefits
What are rehabilitation benefits?
- Rehabilitation benefits give injured workers the resources they need to return to work or adapt to new types of work after recovery.
- These benefits might help you pay for career counseling, new job training, educational opportunities, and job placement services.
Who is eligible for rehabilitation benefits?
- Rehabilitation benefits are for workers whose occupational conditions prevent them from returning to their previous work.
- You can seek rehabilitation benefits if you cannot continue your previous employment because of your work-related injuries or illness.
Example: A production seamstress’s hands can no longer manage a sewing machine due to years of work-related repetitive motion injuries. In a workers’ comp claim, the employee could seek rehabilitation benefits to get resources to find a new career path.
Death Benefits
What are death benefits?
- Death benefits compensate the surviving family members of workers who die from occupational injuries or illnesses.
- The money from a death benefits claim covers funeral and burial expenses. It also provides a lump sum, and weekly benefits to replace some of the earnings the deceased worker would have contributed to the family.
Who is eligible for death benefits?
- Surviving spouses are entitled to a lump-sum payment plus 70 percent of the deceased’s average weekly wage (AWW) or the state AWW.
- Surviving children are entitled to a lump sum and a percent of the deceased’s AWW or state AWW. The exact amounts depend on the number of children and whether there is a surviving spouse.
Example: A line cook dies from extensive burn injuries in a kitchen fire at work and leaves behind a spouse. When the surviving spouse files a workers’ comp death claim, they can receive a lump-sum payment plus 70 percent of the employee’s wages and reimbursement for burial expenses.
Contact Our Oklahoma Workers’ Compensation Benefits Attorneys Today
Even a minor work injury can be physically, mentally, and financially devastating. Let the experienced workers’ comp lawyers at Ryan Bisher Ryan & Simons help you get the money you need to recover. To learn more about the types of workers’ comp benefits in Oklahoma, contact us today for a free case evaluation.
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