Getting injured at work can lead to a lot of initial uncertainty and confusion. In addition to healing and doing what you can to get back to work, you also have to worry about how you’re going to survive financially if you are temporarily unable to do your job. That’s where workers’ compensation benefits can help.
If you’ve experienced an unexpected accident or injury while performing duties on the job, you may be entitled to receive benefits from your employer or insurance provider. To protect your right to benefits, it’s helpful to first understand which types of disability benefits are available to employees who are injured at workplaces in Iowa.
Here are the different types of disability benefits you should know about:
Temporary Total Disability
Temporary Total Disability, also referred to as TTD, are benefits that become available when you are away from work for more than three calendar workdays due to a work-related injury or accident. As an injured employee, you may be eligible for benefits starting on the fourth day. These benefits are enabled from then until you go back to work, reach maximum healing (MMI) or are well enough to start working in a similar capacity.
Temporary Partial Disability
Temporary Partial Disability, also referred to as TPD, are benefits that you are eligible for if you have to work a lesser paying job when you return to work due to your injury. According to the Iowa Workforce Development Division of Workers’ Compensation, “the benefit amount is 66 2/3 percent of the difference between your average gross weekly earnings when injured and your actual earnings while temporarily working at the lesser paying job.” TPD benefits, like TTD, also requires a three-day waiting period before they become available to an injured worker.
Healing Period
Healing Period, also know to as HP, are disability benefits that you can become entitled to receive while recovering from an accident or injury that ultimately leads to a permanent impairment. These benefits become available on the first day after the incident occurred, unlike other benefits that require a three-day waiting period.
Permanent Partial Disability
Permanent Partial Disability, also referred to as PPD, are benefits that are available to Iowa employees who are left permanently impaired as a direct result of their work accident or injury. You become eligible to receive PPD benefits if your doctor gives you an impairment rating for your injury.
Scheduled Member Disabilities
Scheduled Member Disabilities are benefits that become available based on an accident that results in functional impairment or loss to a finger, hand, arm, foot, toe, eye, or shoulder. It also applies to partial or total loss of hearing and permanent disfigurement of the face or head. To better understand how benefits are applied for the full loss of each member, refer to Appendix A in this document.
Body as a Whole Disabilities
Body as a Whole Disabilities are benefits that can become available when you permanently injure a part of the body that is not included as a scheduled member. You can become eligible to receive these benefits depending on your earning ability, physical health, and emotional well-being before and after the accident. The evaluation and approval of this type of disability benefit can be somewhat complex, so it’s recommended that you consult an attorney if you believe you may be entitled to receive them as a result of an injury you recently experienced.
Permanent Total Disability
Permanent Total Disability, also referred to as PTD, are benefits that you can become entitled to receive if a workplace accident or injury leaves you permanently impaired and permanently unable to return to any kind of employment.
To better understand one or more of these different types of disability benefits, contact the Platt Law offices Des Moines and Urbandale, Iowa areas best personal injury law attorney for a free consultation.