Four Kinds of Workers’ Compensation Benefits

In Arizona, as in other states, the workers’ compensation program pays out benefits to workers injured on the job as well as to the families of workers fatally injured. Claims tend to be filed a lot in the construction industry since employees regularly work around heavy machinery, from elevated surfaces, with power tools and surrounded by other hazards.

OSHA even speaks of the “fatal four” causes of construction accidents. The first are falls, usually from improperly installed scaffolding or unsteady ladders. Second is electrocution. Third are struck-by incidents wherein dropped objects will strike a person standing below. Lastly, workers can die after becoming stuck in between a moving machine and an immobile object. As for those construction workers who survive an incident, they may still be left with a disability.

It’s important to know, then, what the four kinds of workers’ comp benefits are. First, the program can cover all of a victim’s medical expenses, including the cost of treatments, hospital visits, medications and medical devices like wheelchairs and crutches. Then, there are temporary disability benefits: usually two-thirds of the victim’s average weekly income.

Total or partial permanent disability benefits could be paid out as well once a victim has reached maximum medical improvement. Lastly, a family could receive death benefits, which cover funeral expenses and the loss of wages.

Those who believe they can file a claim may want an attorney to tell them more about workers’ compensation law. Their employer may deny benefits on the basis that they, the victims, were at fault or suffered injuries that were ultimately not work-related, so it may be wise to have an attorney around for the whole filing process. The attorney may assist with any appeals that need to be made. Victims may ask about how to settle a claim.