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What Happens When Workers’ Compensation in Arkansas Runs Out

The details regarding workers’ compensation in Arkansas are important. Workplace accidents can take place at any time, and most workers cannot afford to support their families during the time they are unable to work as a result of the work injury.

Therefore, it is important to follow the rules and procedures set out by Arkansas law to ensure you receive timely payment of work comp benefits.  Reasonable and necessary medical bills as well as a percentage of wages are paid if you can prove your injury was work-related.

According to reports, in 2016 there were almost 2.9 million workplace injuries. These were non-fatal but serious enough to cause the workers to miss work for weeks or months. Those missed days equaled lost wages which certainly affected many families.

If you have questions about the rules and procedures, you should contact a qualified Arkansas work comp attorney. Experienced lawyers make things easier for you because work comp benefits have certain limitations that should be understood.

Till What Time Will Workers’ Compensation in Arkansas Be Paid?

An employee should receive workers’ compensation in Arkansas while they are recovering under the care of the authorized physician.  Various factors such as the part of the body injured, the severity of the injury, the temporary restrictions, and the nature of your occupation must all be considered.

People facing minor injuries such as cuts and bruises may not miss any work at all.  On the other hand, those suffering severe neck, back or shoulder injuries may miss much more time from work.  Life-threatening injuries such as paralysis, amputation, or brain injuries may prevent a return to work.

Benefits are paid for different periods depending on the situation. Typically, temporary total disability benefits are paid during your initial healing period and transition to permanent partial disability benefits if you sustain a permanent injury.  Permanent total disability benefits last over your lifetime but are very difficult to prove.  You have to prove your inability to earn any meaningful wage in order to prevail on permanent total disability.

Types of Benefits:

The two most common types of disability benefits when it comes to workers’ compensation in Arkansas are temporary total disability and permanent partial disability benefits.

1. Temporary Total Disability Benefits:

Temporary total disability benefits are paid at a rate of two-thirds of your average weekly wage and max out at $736.00 per week.  These benefits are paid while you are off work under your authorized treating physician’s care.  If your employer offers you light duty within the doctor’s restrictions, you must attempt light-duty work.

These workers’ compensation in Arkansas benefits stop when you reach the end of your healing period and the doctor releases you back to full duty work.

2. Permanent Partial Disability Benefits:

Injuries that result in permanent impairment receive workers’ compensation in Arkansas known as permanent partial disability. These benefits are paid at a rate of 75% of the temporary total disability rate.  Arkansas law regulates the number of weeks you are paid these benefits depending on the injury and the impairment rating that is assigned by your doctor.

Why Benefits Come to an End:

Workers’ compensation is usually not received as a life-long benefit. Most of the time injured employees receive benefits until the doctor finishes treatment, and cases generally settle and close.  There are also other situations that may result in the insurance carrier terminating benefits.

  • Not Following the Doctors’ Advice:

People not following the doctor’s prescribed method of treatment can lose their benefits. Workers’ compensation is paid so that an injured person can receive immediate medical treatment in hopes of quickly returning back to the workforce.  If you refuse to cooperate with recommended medical treatment, insurance carriers will terminate your benefits.

  • Changing Your Job or Not Performing Alternate Duties:

Employers often offer alternate jobs to employees who cannot perform their original duties. If someone refuses light duty within the doctor’s restrictions, then the insurance company has the right to stop paying compensation. Additionally, it is not wise to quit your job while you are actively receiving medical treatment resulting from a work injury.

  • Accepting All the Money at Once:

There are situations where cases can be settled early in the process with an allocation toward future medical care.  This can be tricky and must be approved by a workers’ compensation administrative law judge.

Injured workers always need to be aware of rules and possible routes regarding workers’ benefits or else their claims could be terminated by the insurance carrier.

Filing a Third-Party Injury Lawsuit:

Injured workers may only pursue their employer’s negligence through a workers’ compensation claim.  However, there are occasions when a worker is injured by a third party, such as car accidents, truck wrecks, or defective products.

In those situations, injured workers are not limited to the employers’ workers’ compensation insurance, and those injured workers may also make claims against the third parties that caused the injuries.

Contacting the Best Lawyers in Arkansas:

The Law Office of Jason M. Hatfield has years of experience. Our lawyers can easily help employees win workers’ compensation cases in Arkansas. We understand the hurdles and issues that a worker has to face to receive these benefits for workers’ compensation in Arkansas.

In some instances, workers don’t even receive what they deserve. Therefore, our legal team is available to provide all kinds of support to you and your claim. Contact our professionals for the best advice on what to do next in case of a work-related accident.

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