An injury from work can be devastating and leave you with a lot of questions that are unanswered; from wondering how much compensation you will receive to wondering what your rights are. One question employees will often ask is what will happen if they go back to work part time. It is not uncommon to be told you are cleared for part-time work, but you may wonder if returning to work on a part-time basis will damage the compensation – after all, you are not working full-time still and you are without full pay. Also, you may wonder if returning to work part-time will disrupt payments for ongoing treatments you are still receiving.
Also, another concern may be what if you return to work part time, but later realize that you are still in too much pain or unable to work. These are all great questions to ask your workers’ compensation attorney, and we can already put you at ease regarding some of them while you wait for your appointment.
Wage loss benefits are one of the sources of compensation an injured worker will receive – the other being medical expenses and/or funeral costs. The amount you are compensated is not 100 percent, but it covers a great deal of what you would have earned based on the earnings prior to the accident. Therefore, if you were injured and making 40,000, you would receive a percentage of that for your wage loss benefit. If you return to work on light duty or part-time basis, but your income drops to 15,000, you would still be compensated based on the amount you were originally earning before you sustained the injury.
You are still required to report the part time income as well as your medical status to the workers’ compensation board so that they can continue to assess your case. They will determine if you are still eligible for insurance benefits after returning to work part time.
Also, if you return to work, full time or part time, but later decide that you are unable to complete the work, you may have to reopen your claim with workers’ compensation if it was closed. If it is already open, you can inform your attorney about your inability to work once again so that they can file a claim with worker’s compensation and ensure you receive your full benefits.
If you have suffered a work related injury and are receiving compensation, you should speak with an attorney. The team at The Law Offices of Kevin J. Roach, LLC can assist you with your claim and ensure you do not lose out on benefits simply because you are able to work part-time. Call us to schedule a no obligation consultation with a worker’s compensation attorney at 636-519-0085 or fill out an online contact form with your questions.
