How Long Does Workers Comp Last (And Why)?

Exact Answer: 2 to 45 Years

Workers Comp is the term used for workers’ compensation. It is a type of insurance that provides medical benefits and wage replacements to the employees who are injured while working. 

If any worker gets injured while working, then they are liable to get compensation via medical and other benefits. 

Workers comp not only provides compensation to the injured workers but also provides benefits to the dependent family members of the deceased workers who lost their lives while working.

How Long Does Workers Comp Last? 

In case of the death of a worker, while working or performing the tasks for the organization, the family of the deceased worker receives compensation in terms of money, and other benefits depending upon the law of that state or country. 

Apart from death, there are mainly four types of disabilities. Let’s look at them one by one,

Temporary Partial Disability –

In this case, a person is not able to work to their full capacity for a certain period owing to an injury. During this time, they may or may not do a less tiring task. It depends upon the injury and their will.

Compensation: A worker is entitled to receive 2/3^rd of the wages and other benefits that are lost due to the injury. This is for a shorter period, around the period of partial disability.

Temporary Permanent Disability –

In this case, a worker is not able to do any task for a particular period. In this period, the worker will be capable of resuming their work only after getting well.

Compensation: In this case, a worker is entitled to receive 2/3^rd of their monthly income and other benefits until they are fit to come back to work.

Permanent Partial Disability –

Permanent Partial Disablement is a situation in which the functionality of one or more limbs has stopped, and there are no chances of recovery. In this case, a certificate is needed from the local government authority to claim the benefits.

Compensation: In this case, the benefits from worker comp depend upon the severity of the injury. The medical benefits are provided for six months, and after that, it is considered a permanent injury.

Permanent Total Disability –

In Permanent Total Disablement, a person is not able to work ever in their life. The most serious types of injuries and accidents come under this case.

Compensation: Some states may even provide lifelong benefits, and others may compensate according to the severity of the injury. This case results in the longest duration of compensation.

Why Does Workers Comp Last So Long?

Laws related to workers comp may vary from one country or state to another. The period for a workers’ comp depends on the type of disability that a worker has undergone. It is also highly dependent on the severity of the injury.

In most cases, workers are entitled to receive weekly benefits, as compensation takes longer than expected due to various factors. Any personal accident or injury is not covered under workers comp.

Investigation of the case is very essential. It is the first step towards compensation. Only when the investigation is completed, compensation is initiated.

In some cases, a right medical professional might not have provided an opinion about the health of the worker. This may delay compensation because benefits are decided to keep in mind the condition of the injured worker.

Most of the insurance companies take surprisingly long to get all the paperwork done, and this makes the worker comp last longer. 

Workers comp lasts as long the worker can rejoin or sustain life with one way or the other. The injury may have physical, mental, and even psychological effects on the individual. 

Conclusion 

There are many risks & hazards at the workplace, and every day many workers get injured while performing them. 

To protect the workers’ rights and to take care of the deceased workers’ families, a  compensation law was introduced. This law has proved beneficial to a large extent in safeguarding the workers’ interests.

If the businesses do not provide a workers’ comp, then it may violate the law as well as lose its reputation in the market.

References

1. https://heinonline.org/hol-cgi-bin/get_pdf.cgi?handle=hein.journals/berkjemp20&section=7
2. https://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=56404