When a person suffers from a workplace accident in New Jersey, they can often face significant damages as a result. This can be physical, emotional, and financial. It is because of this that workers’ compensation is available to employees during this time. This is a no-fault insurance program that provides them with certain benefits during their time of need. In exchange for this compensation, employees are not able to pursue legal action against their employers for their injuries. To learn more about these benefits, continue reading and reach out to an experienced New Jersey workers’ compensation attorney if you were injured in a workplace accident.
Benefits Under Workers’ Compensation
Under workers’ compensation law in New Jersey, there are certain benefits available for employees who are injured or sustain an illness at work. These injuries often result in serious pain, suffering, and a large number of medical bills. In some cases, injuries can even prevent the individual from returning to work for a period of time. Sometimes, they do not have the same abilities they once did due to the injury. It is because of this that they may receive the following benefits:
- Medical Benefits: This covers necessary medical treatment, prescriptions, and hospitalization services related to the work injury.
- Temporary Total Disability Benefits: This is payable if an employee’s injury makes them incapable of coming back to work for more than 7 days. Payments are made at a rate of 70% of their average weekly wage, It also does not exceed the rate 75% or fall below 20% of the Statewide Average Weekly Wage.
- Permanent Partial Benefits: This is payable on a weekly basis when an injury or illness keeps an employee on partial permanent disability. They are based on a percentage of “scheduled” or “non-scheduled” losses. A scheduled loss involves arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, toes, eyes, ears, or teeth. A non-scheduled loss involves an area or system of the body that is not scheduled. This may include the back, heart, and lungs.
- Permanent Total Benefits: This is payable if an injury or illness prevents an employee from returning to employment at all. These are paid weekly for 450 weeks. They may continue beyond this time limit if the injured employee can prove they are still unable to earn wages.
- Death Benefits: This is payable to dependents of an employee if they die because of a work-related injury or illness. The weekly payments are 70% of the deceased’s weekly wage. This total is divided by the individual’s surviving dependents based on a judge’s discretion.
Contact our Firm
If you have been injured as a result of a personal injury accident and wish to speak with an attorney, contact the Law Office of Christopher T. Howell, Esq. today.
