What If I Cannot Work After a Burbank Workplace Injury?
Injuries are painful, and some of them are even more serious than others. They can put you out of work for a long time, and in some cases, even permanently. This is when one question pops to mind.
You tend to wonder what will happen if you cannot return to work because of your Burbank workplace injury.
It all depends on your job and the severity of your injury. If you have a Burbank workers’ compensation attorney working for you, that will increase your chances significantly.
Inform Your Employer
You first have to tell your employer and seek medical care once you get injured.
Your doctor will examine you to determine the extent and seriousness of your injury. It helps them find out if you will be able to return to work or not.
It’s even better if you also seek legal help through your lawyer who can navigate the legal system. Their expertise and guidance can make the difference between a favorable and unsuccessful outcome.
How Your Lawyer Helps
Suppose you can’t work for a week because of the injury, then you have the right to receive compensation for the lost wages.
While the days needn’t be consecutive, your doctor should vouch for them.
This could be done more comfortably if you seek expert legal help.
Similarly, if you can’t work for a fortnight or so, then you can claim for lost wages for the first seven days of your being off work.
Your Burbank workers’ compensation lawyer will help get your rightful temporary compensation.
It usually amounts to 66.66% of your average monthly wages. It’s based on your payments for the 30 days before your injury. However, it may be calculated appropriately based on more extended periods.
What Is the Compensation Amount?
An injury most of the time leaves you partially disabled. In this case, you may be able to later return to the workplace in some capacity. In California, the compensation amount and the time you can receive permanent disability depends on the injury severity.
Your doctor is the best person to decide if your condition will improve or worsen if you return to work. The doctor will complete a medical assessment. They will determine if your injury is a permanent disability, which makes you eligible for permanent compensation.
You may receive compensation for the rest of your life if your injury is so severe that you may not be able to do any form of work. These cases include:
- Chronic illness
- PTSD
- Amputation
- Hearing or vision loss
- Paralysis
If you feel you cannot return to your work either temporarily or permanently, it’s better to get legal assistance from a Burbank workers compensation lawyer.
What Happens If You Return to Work with Limited Capabilities?
Your employer is obligated to provide you with ongoing employment, with altered duties, if you return to work with limited capacities or abilities.
This obligation lasts for 52 weeks and starts from when you provide a claim for weekly payments.
If you recover sufficiently to return to your regular work and hours in these 52 weeks, your employer has to provide you with your pre-injury or similar job.
While it may not be 52 consecutive weeks, it includes periods you can’t perform your full pre-injury duties and hours because of your workplace injury.
While most employers may support their injured workers through suitable employment for a longer period, they are not legally obliged to do so.
Your workers’ compensation lawyer in Burbank is the right person to guide you in this respect. They will let you know when you are entitled to compensation based on the extent of your workplace injury.