The total value of Nevada workers’ comp settlements varies from one case to the next, depending on the type and severity of the injury, and whether the injured employee is able to return to work. Undergoing expensive medical treatments and missing work because of a work-related injury may not be an easy thing to recover from financially. Fortunately, workers’ compensation benefits may be available to help you get through this difficult time.
What Are Workers’ Compensation Benefits?
Workers’ compensation benefits are provided to employees who suffer injuries at work, and the families of those who are killed in work accidents. These benefits were designed to ensure that injured employees have a surefire means of financial recovery after suffering a work-related accident.
What Do Workers’ Comp Settlements Cover in Nevada?
Workers’ comp settlements will generally cover your medical expenses that result because of your workplace accident. Additionally, they may provide partial replacement of the wages that you lost if you were unable to work due to your injury.
Wage recovery benefits through the workers’ compensation system in Nevada are limited, however. According to the State of Nevada Department of Business & Industry, the maximum disability compensation for a work-related injury or illness in Nevada is 66.66% of the fiscal year’s average monthly wage.
How Much Is My Nevada Workers’ Comp Claim Worth?
The compensation you may be entitled to receive after your work accident will depend on the severity of your injury and its impact on your ability to work.
The categories of lost time compensation are: permanent total disability, temporary total disability, temporary partial disability, and permanent partial disability.
Permanent Total Disability
If you suffer an injury at work, and it permanently prevents you from returning to any type of work, you may receive permanent total disability payments. PPD will pay 66.66% of your average monthly wages prior to your injury. You may receive these wages for the rest of your life, as long as a doctor has determined that your disability is permanent.
Temporary Total Disability
If an occupational injury caused you to miss at least 5 days of work in a 20-day period, and you are temporarily unable to return to work, or your employer has not offered you, or cannot offer you, a light duty position, you may receive temporary total disability payments. You are eligible to receive 66.66% of your average monthly wages until your injury is healed to the point where you are able to return to work and safely perform your duties.
Temporary Partial Disability
If you have healed enough to return to your job, but are earning less than your pre-injury wages, you may have eligibility for temporary partial disability benefits. For example, if you are working a lighter duty at one of the most dangerous jobs in Las Vegas, and doing so has reduced your regular wages, you may receive TPD payments. Temporary partial disability pays 66.66% of the difference between what you were earning at the time of your injury and what you are currently earning. TPD can be paid for up to 24 months.
Permanent Partial Disability
You may be entitled to permanent partial disability benefits if your injury has caused permanent impairment that will interfere with your earning capacity after you have reached maximum medial improvement. Your doctor will determine your level of overall impairment. The level may range from one to 100%.
For every percentage of permanent impairment, you will receive 0.6% of your income before your injury. You may be able to receive a lump sum for a settlement or receive monthly payments that will continue for five years or until you turn 70-years-old, whichever is later.
If the worker’s comp insurance company has denied your claim, or is not paying you any longer, a Las Vegas work injury lawyer will help you obtain the benefits you are due.
Factors That Influence Nevada Workers’ Comp Settlements
The total value of Nevada workers’ comp settlements and how to prepare for a work-related injury claim will depend on several factors. Some of the most common of these include:
Medical Expenses
Workers’ compensation benefits includes coverage of your reasonable and necessary medical costs that arise from your workplace accident. Therefore, your total settlement value will include the current and projected future costs you might incur as a result of your injury.
Typically, you will not receive direct payment for your medical bills. Rather, your healthcare providers will receive reimbursement directly from the insurance carrier through their fee schedules and payment procedures.
Injury Severity
The type and severity of work injuries factor heavily into Nevada workers’ comp settlements. Some types of injuries may keep you from work for a short period while you recover, but you can resume your normal duties once you are healed. Others, however, may prevent you from performing your previous job tasks, or from returning to work at all. How your injury impacts your ability to work will play a role in determining the type of lost wage compensation you might be entitled to receive.
