Workers’ compensation benefits can serve as a lifeline for injured workers and their families following a workplace accident and its aftereffects. As a result, it is important for injured workers and their families to be familiar with the different types of benefits workers’ compensation provides.
Virginia workers compensation benefits include:
- Lifetime medical benefits: injured workers can receive payment for medical expenses related to their injury or occupational illness. Payment can include out-of-pocket medical costs, prescriptions and medically-related transportation expenses.
- Wage loss replacement: injured workers can receive wage loss replacement for temporary total disability or temporary partial disability when the injured worker has a medically-authorized disability preventing them from working.
- Permanent partial disability: injured workers who are permanently partially disabled may recover benefits for the loss of the use of a body part; amputation; loss of hearing or vision; bodily disfigurement or scarring; or lung disease.
- Permanent total disability: injured workers who are permanently totally disabled may recover benefits including lifetime wage replacement for loss of both hands, arms, feet, legs, eyes or any two body parts in the same accident. Benefits may also be available for paralysis or disability caused by a severe brain injury.
- Death benefits: surviving family members, children and some dependents may be able to receive wage loss benefits, funeral expenses and other benefits when they lose a loved one in a fatal workplace accident.
Workers’ compensation benefits can help injured workers and their loved ones through a difficult time following a workplace accident. Because a workplace injury can upend the lives of injured workers and their families, injured workers and their families should know what types of benefits they can receive and how they can receive the workers’ compensation benefits they need them.