Workplace injuries are commonplace, but many employers don't want to be held liable for their employees' injuries. If you have been injured at your work place, you should talk to a workers' compensation attorney. Here are some terms you should familiarize yourself with before filing a claim.

Average Weekly Wage

The average weekly wage refers to your average weekly earnings. It is calculated using the average earnings from the weeks before the workplace accident. The number of weeks varies between states. The average weekly wage is the cash amount your insurance company will use to calculate the benefits you will be awarded.

Therefore, if an employee has worked for a specified number of weeks before the accident, the average weekly wage is equal to the wages the employee earned over those weeks divided by the number of weeks. However, if an employee has not worked long enough to provide the necessary data, the insurance carrier uses other approaches to calculate the average weekly wage. Inquire from your workers' compensation attorney what other methods are used for calculating the average weekly wage.

Disability Benefits

Disability benefits can either be temporary partial or temporary total. Temporary partial disability applies when an injured person can work despite their injury. These benefits apply for a limited period. The assumption is that the employee will achieve full recovery in the future and be able to get back to their job.

However, temporary total disability applies to employees whose injuries make them completely incapacitated for a definite period. The insurance carrier will not pay the benefits when the complainant recovers and is fit to get back to work. In some jurisdictions, an employee may be given temporary partial disability if they return to work for partial hours while their disability resolves.

Vocational Rehabilitation

Vocational rehab for injured employees aims to provide injured workers services to enable them to regain their capacity to earn money through gainful employment. In some cases, employers opt to offer vocational rehab for their injured workers. This allows their injured employees to resume work as soon as possible. In this case, the employer will cover the cost of vocational rehabilitation.

Sometimes, an employees' injuries prevent them from returning to their former employment post. In these cases, vocational rehab can help workers get back to manageable, stable employment faster than they can do so on their own. This helps them regain their self-esteem, independence, and financial stability. As a result, it helps conclude workers' comp cases quickly. This is a benefit to employers and insurance carriers in terms of reduced costs.

In Closing

Workplace injuries are some most common personal injury complaints. In most cases, injured employees don't get damages for their injuries. To ensure you get justice, involve a workers' compensation attorney in your personal injury case.

To learn more, contact a workers' compensation lawyer.