Workers’ compensation provides essential benefits to workers injured on the job. Although medical care and wage loss benefits receive most of the attention, workers should also qualify for vocational rehabilitation. These benefits help injured workers retrain so they can return to the job force and earn an income. Call McCravy, Newlon, Sturkie & Clardy today to speak with a Greenwood workers’ compensation lawyer. Some insurers make it hard to access vocational rehabilitation workers’ compensation benefits, and we can help identify your options.
What Are Vocational Rehabilitation Workers’ Compensation Benefits?
Many workers suffer permanent injuries after a work-related accident. These injuries prevent them from returning to their old job. Nonetheless, they can remain productive members of the workforce with some retraining. That is where workers’ compensation vocational rehabilitation comes in.
These benefits equip workers with the skills and training they need to find suitable employment.
Typically, workers need to take a new job in their current field, or they enter a new field altogether.
Without these benefits, many workers would never earn income again, and their families could struggle financially.
Vocational rehabilitation typically includes:
- Worker evaluation. Workers’ comp performs an assessment to judge your current capabilities, as well as your interests and skills. The main areas of focus are your current post-injury limitations, as well as your pre-injury work experience. The goal is to identify the best path toward vocational rehabilitation.
- Training or educational credentials. Workers can seek certifications or specialized training to help them transition to a new job or career path.
- Job placement assistance. Receiving training or education is only half the battle. You can also receive assistance finding employment. Workers’ comp should help you find a job that matches your updated skills.
The vocational rehabilitation a worker receives will depend on many factors, including their current limitations, as well as their skills and previous experience. You might also receive assistive technology to help you perform a job. For example, someone with impaired vision might need a larger computer screen to help them see, and workers’ comp can provide that.
What Careers Can You Transition To?
Typically, vocational rehabilitation is available when a worker suffers from permanent disabilities even after reaching maximum improvement. That means they have healed as much as they can after receiving comprehensive care, but they still have lingering disabilities. As a result, they cannot return to the job they had before getting hurt.
Some workers can transition into a different job within their current industry. A construction worker could suffer serious arm and shoulder injuries, making a return to construction impossible.
However, with sufficient vocational rehabilitation, they might enter a different job within the construction industry, such as working as a project manager. Likewise, a food service worker might be unable to work a fast-paced job in a kitchen. But they could train to become a food sales consultant.
Other workers will need to transition to a different industry. A security guard could suffer a leg injury, which makes doing rounds impossible. However, they could transition to customer service and work a desk job at a call center.
How to Receive Workers’ Compensation Vocational Rehabilitation
Vocational rehabilitation is a benefit provided by workers’ compensation insurance. Everyone benefits when workers retrain. The worker can continue to earn an income, and the insurance company can eventually stop paying disability benefits. Workers regain independence and self-confidence, being able to support themselves with a job.
To request benefits, you should first apply for workers’ compensation after an on-the-job accident.
You must report the accident within 90 days (avoid any delay). And you typically file Form 50 to start a claim within two years.
Receiving medical care and physical therapy is actually a component of your vocational rehabilitation. By improving your physical condition as much as possible, you make a wider range of jobs available moving forward.
You can request vocational rehabilitation services by calling your closest Vocational Rehabilitation Center. Working with a counselor, you will develop a personal rehabilitation plan. The plan should identify what credentials or certifications you can seek, as well as what assistive technology can help you integrate into the job force.
Vocational rehabilitation benefits should be free. However, that does not mean that disputes do not arise frequently.
How a Lawyer Can Help Access Vocational Rehabilitation Services
Some injured workers struggle to get the vocational training they desire. They might wish to pursue a new career path only to find it blocked. They call our office with questions.
Some disputes that arise include:
- Your counselor believes you can return to your old job despite lingering impairments. They might not believe you need additional training or education to transition to a different job. Instead, you can head back to your old one, even if you are still somewhat disabled.
- Your employer removes certain job duties, so your old job is considered “suitable.” This is another reason why workers’ comp might deny vocational benefits.
- You disagree with the recommended vocational path. You might want to get more education than your counselor believes you need. For example, you might want to earn a degree to become a teacher, but your counselor doesn’t agree.
- The insurance carrier believes the vocational path is too expensive. You can expect them to push back on any plan that requires earning an educational credential.
- The scope of your restrictions is unclear. Vocational benefits can get delayed if the medical evidence doesn’t clearly establish your restrictions.
We can review the dispute and analyze your legal options. Vocational rehabilitation benefits can represent a considerable sum of money. Workers who want to transition to a new field should consider meeting with a lawyer to plan how to get a rehabilitation plan aligned with their goals.
Speak with a Greenwood Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Today
McCravy, Newlon, Sturkie & Clardy have helped countless injured workers access benefits, including vocational rehabilitation workers’ compensation benefits. We can discuss any dispute you are having. Our firm can work closely with medical experts to fully understand your limitations while at the same time working to help you return to a suitable job. Contact us to learn more about how we can help.