When Do Benefits Starts?
July 15, 2017
In the state of Maryland, you can collect Workers’ Compensation benefits if the injury was caused by an “accidental personal injury arising out of and in the course of employment.” In other words, if your injury is caused by poor working conditions, it is considered to arise out of employment. If the injury happens while you are performing your job duties, it is considered to have happened in the course of employment.
Medical Benefits
If you have suffered from a workplace injury or an occupational disease, your employer’s insurance company will reimburse you for medical bills related to the injury right away, before the claim has been formally accepted. It is not necessary to begin the claims process before seeking medical treatment. In fact, the first thing you should do if you have been hurt on the job is to report the injury to your employer and make an appointment with your doctor as soon as possible in order to begin treatment. However, it is important that you start the claims process immediately in order to collect all entitled Workers’ Compensation benefits.
If you have already begun to receive medical bills and you have not yet filed a Workers’ Compensation claim, file a claim as soon as possible and forward copies of your bills to your employer’s insurance company so they can process the claim and initiate payments. Medical costs covered by Workers’ Compensation include hospital services, prescription medication, medical and surgical treatment, physical therapy, and other treatment necessary related to the injury.
Non-Medical Benefits
Unlike medical benefits, other benefits covered by Workers’ Compensation, including temporary disability benefits and permanent disability benefits, will not begin until a claim has been formally accepted. If your claim is denied, you may file an appeal. You will not receive benefits unless you win the appeal even after your claim is approved. This is because Workers’ Compensation does not consider you eligible to receive benefits until they have a doctor certified form stating that you are physically unable to work.
If you have a temporary total disability (TTD), an injury that has resulted in a disability that prevents the person from being able to work, you will receive temporary total disability payments. Once the benefits are ordered, the claimant will receive a check within approximately two weeks, which will be a lump sum check that includes payments from the date of the accident to the date of the order. The remainder of the payments will be sent weekly.
If you have suffered an injury or occupational illness that has left you with a permanent partial disability (PPD), it means that you are not completely disabled, but have suffered some degree of impairment. You can expect to receive Workers’ Compensation benefits approximately two to three weeks from the time the order goes through. The employee will continue to receive benefits for a period of time that has been established by the statute.
Baltimore Workers’ Compensation Lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton Help Injured Workers Secure Maximum Benefits
If you have been injured at work, contact the Baltimore Workers’ Compensation lawyers at LeViness, Tolzman & Hamilton so that we can guide you through the claims process and ensure that you receive the full benefits you deserve. We have extensive experience appealing denied claims for injured workers. Make sure you are hiring the right lawyer. For a free consultation, call us at 800-547-4LAW (4529) or contact us online.
