When you’ve been hurt on the job in New Jersey, you have the right to seek compensation for losses caused by your injury. Are you only entitled to benefits if you can’t work at all? What types of medical expenses does workers’ compensation cover? Will it pay for physical therapy or rehabilitation? What if you need a prescription for pain medication or an injury that requires surgery?
Under New Jersey law, workers’ compensation benefits are available whenever you have suffered a work-related injury. The benefits include compensation for lost wages or income—the specific amount and duration of your payments will depend on two criteria: whether or not your injury is temporary or permanent; and whether or not your injury is partial or total. As a practical matter, most workers’ compensation claims are for short-term injuries, and the benefits are only paid while you are unable to work.
To obtain benefits for a permanent disability, though, it’s not necessary that you be unable to work—you may be entitled to some form of benefit if you can show that a work-related injury caused you some type of permanent disability. Of course, if you can’t work at all, you will be entitled to the maximum benefit, which is based on your average weekly wage for the last 52 weeks. If your injury is deemed to be partial, though, you’ll only receive a percentage of the total benefits available, based on your degree of disability.
Medical Benefits under a Workers’ Compensation Claim
The workers’ compensation laws allow for coverage of all “reasonable and necessary” medical expenses incurred after a work injury. Hospital and urgent care treatment, physician visits, medical procedures and prescriptions are all covered. Though the workers’ compensation insurer or your employer may require that you meet with a specific doctor, you can still seek a second opinion and treatment from your own doctor.
Survivor Benefits under the New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Laws
There are also death benefits available to certain family members when someone is killed in a work-related accident.
Contact Attorney Howard D. Popper
To learn your options when you have been injured in the workplace, contact our office online or call attorney Popper at 973-993-8787. We have offices in Morristown and Newton, but will come to your home or the hospital, if necessary. There is no charge for your first consultation.
We handle all workers’ compensation claims on a contingency basis. You won’t be charged any legal fees unless attorney Popper recovers compensation for your losses.