There are a couple of different types of lost wage benefits that an injured worker may be entitled to. The two most common types of wage benefits are temporary total disability benefits (TTD) and temporary partial disability benefits (TPD).
In order for an injured worker to be entitled to any lost wage benefits, the claim needs to be accepted as compensable by the employer/carrier which means that treatment is authorized through the workers compensation claim. Therefore, once an injured employee receives medical treatment from an authorized doctor, the doctor then opines as to whether the employee is able to return to work without any restrictions, on light duty restrictions or is unable to work at all due to the severity of the injury or injuries.
An injured employee automatically receives TTD benefits if an authorized doctor opines that the employee is unable to work. However, receiving TPD benefits is a little bit more complex. To receive TPD benefits, an authorized physician would have to place the injured employee on light duty restrictions and the employer must not be able to accommodate those restrictions. Many times this can be an issue if the employee is no longer working for the company or if the employer holds the position that they have light duty work available, but the reality is that the work is not within the restrictions provided by the doctor. Further, the TTD compensation rate is a little higher than the TPD rate.
There are many different issues that may arise regarding entitlement to wage benefits to an injured employee. That is why it is important to hire a workers compensation attorney who handles these types of situations. If you were injured on the job or know of someone who was, have them give us a call at (844) 762-8155.