Helping Workers Pursue Fair Disability Ratings
If you are pursuing workers' compensation, you probably know about concepts like temporary and permanent disability, as well as total and partial disability. These may be confusing terms, especially when they mean something different in the law than they would mean to most people.
At Barkan & Barkan Co., L.P.A., our attorneys help Ohio workers pursue the maximum available workers' compensation benefits as well as fair rulings on whether they are able to go back to work. Contact us in Columbus to discuss what we can do for you. We charge no fees unless and until we help you get benefits.
Understanding Different Types of Workers' Comp Benefits
There are several stages of the Ohio workers' compensation process with different types of benefits available, including medical expenses and lost wages. These stages include the following:
- Temporary total disability: Injured workers are entitled to these benefits if it is medically proven that they are temporarily unable to go back to work. This stage ends either when the employee is ready to work or the doctor has determined that the employee has achieved maximum improvement and is still unable to work.
- Permanent partial disability: If your workers' comp doctor determines that you are able to return to work, you will probably be entitled to a permanent partial disability settlement to compensate you for the long-term impact of your injury on your ability to work effectively. There are special legal and regulatory formulas used to calculate your benefits.
- Permanent total disability: If it is proven that you are no longer able to work due to your most recent workplace injuries or due to the impact of all of the workplace injuries you have suffered over the course of your life, you are entitled to benefits for the rest of your life, unless you return to work.
Getting the benefits you deserve can be a very complex process. You may disagree when the doctor claims you are ready to go back to work after a period of temporary disability. You may have additional injuries that could increase your permanent partial disability settlement. You may be having trouble proving permanent total disability.
In each of these cases, you have a right to have an experienced workers' compensation lawyer argue your case. We are also able to represent you if you are seeking Social Security disability benefits, or if a claim for Social Security disability benefits has been denied. Contact us to have us help you pursue the best possible results.
