How Long Do Workers’ Compensation Benefits Last in Colorado
When you have been injured or sickened on the job, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. The experienced workers’ compensation attorneys at The Frickey Law Firm can guide you through the complex process. We have been representing Colorado’s Injured for over 60 years and our attorneys specialize in workers compensation claims and injuries. If you have been injured on the job and want to know what your rights are and what your case maybe worth, call us today. The call and consultation is always free. Know your rights!
We are often asked how long you can receive workers’ compensation in Colorado. The answer is that it depends on which part of your benefits is at issue. You can receive medical treatment coverage for as long as you are injured and the doctors are recommending care that is related to your injury. You are entitled to off work wages benefits until you are placed at maximum medical improvement (MMI) as long as you are not working and on restrictions from your doctor.
You can learn more about workers’ compensation benefits when you schedule an initial consultation with the work injury attorneys at The Frickey Law Firm. We provide our clients with diligent and understanding legal counsel in their workers’ compensation cases.
What Benefits Do You Get with Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ compensation benefits are intended to care for your injury and replace some of the money that you have lost because you are unable to work. Workers’ compensation benefits would include the following:
- Reasonable medical expenses to treat your injuries
- Two-thirds of your average weekly wage that you were earning at the time of your injury, up to the amount of a statutory cap
- Permanent impairment and financial compensation for permanent injuries
- Money for disfigurement (surgical scars, Limps, etc.)
- Transportation and or compensation for mileage to and from medical appointments/pharmacys.
- Permanent total disability if your injury prevents you from working as a result of your work related injury.
How long your benefits last is an important consideration in your financial well-being. You need this money to replace the income that you are not earning because you have been hurt on the job. Your medical care can also be expensive, and your health insurance company may not cover it when you have been hurt on the job.
When Workers’ Compensation Benefits Are Paid
Workers’ compensation benefits could be paid until the following points:
- When you are able to return to work
- When you have reached the point of maximum medical improvement
- When you have reached a settlement with the insurance company
- When you are no longer injured
- When the doctor releases you to full duty
The point of maximum medical improvement is a key milestone in your workers’ compensation case. At some point, you will attend an examination with a doctor who will assess your condition and whether you have reached maximum medical improvement. This point is usually when you have recovered to the fullest possible extent, and the medical treatment would not improve your condition. Then, the medical professional would determine whether you are able to return to work and if you have permanent disability related to your injury. The treating doctors in workers compensation often do not properly assign a correct impairment rating for your work injury which directly affects your financial compensation and recovery. The doctor may also make a determination about your health and whether you are able to go back to your job. The problem is when the doctor prematurely wants you to return to work, and you are not physically able, or does not assign a correct impairment rating. Then, you may need to seek a second opinion with an independent doctor to correctly diagnosis your condition and correctly assigne your true impairment rating
If you are able to fully return to work, your workers’ compensation benefits would stop at that point (unless you were able to successfully challenge that determination through a second opinion or an appeal to an administrative law judge). You could still be paid benefits if you are partially disabled, even if you are able to return to work.
There Are Limits to Workers’ Compensation in Colorado
However, there are also caps on the total amount of benefits that an injured worker may receive based on their impairment rating. Although you would still be entitled to the costs of your medical care once you have reached this cap. Your medical care is still covered under workers’ compensation for as long as you need it. There are no time limits or monetary caps on your medical care payment when you have been injured on the job.
Of course, once you have reached a point of maximum medical improvement, you are always free to negotiate a workers’ compensation settlement with the insurance company. This settlement would pay you all of your benefits in a lump sum, meaning you would not receive them every week. Once you have agreed to a settlement and received the check, you will no longer receive weekly payments. Our attorneys specialize in workers compensation claims and know the true value of your case. Don’t proceed unrepresented, get a lawyer. The insurance company will not tell you the true value of your case and will try to settle the case for a fraction of its true value. Don’t let it happen, get free advice from the Frickey Law Firm if you were injured on the job.
Contact a Golden Workers’ Compensation Law Firm Today
Book a free case review with the workers’ compensation attorneys at The Frickey Law Firm to learn more about the claims process and any other issues relating to your job-related injury. You can speak with a workers’ compensation lawyer by calling us today at 303-237-7373.
Attorney Janet Frickey wants to do the right thing. An impassioned litigator and client advocate for more than 40 years, Ms. Frickey is the owner and managing attorney of The Frickey Law Firm who focuses in workers’ compensation and personal injury. Learn more here.