Why Your Workers Compensation Benefits May Be Terminated

If you have started receiving worker's compensation benefits, you should watch out for issues that may terminate the benefits. For example, the worker's compensation insurance company will terminate your benefits if:

You Have Retired

Worker's compensation benefits are only paid to employees who cannot work because they have sustained an accident in the line of work. You are no longer an employee after your retirement, so you won't be entitled to any compensation after your retirement. For example, if you are injured a few weeks before your retirement, you will only enjoy worker's compensation benefits for the remaining weeks of your employment.

You Have Fully Recovered

As mentioned above, worker's compensation is only meant for injured employees. This means your payments will stop once you recover, and you will be expected to get back to work. However, the payments will stop once you recover even if you don't get back to work. You won't get any more benefits if a medical doctor has certified you as fully recovered and able to work.

The Payments Have Expired

Even if you don't recover, you shouldn't expect to receive worker's compensation temporary benefits forever. Since worker's compensation benefits laws are regulated at the state level, your state's laws determine how long you can receive the benefits. Generally, you can receive the temporary benefits for between three to seven years depending on your state. Therefore, if your state has a four-year limit, then your temporary benefits will stop four years after you started receiving them.

Your Claim Has Been Denied

One of the best things about worker's compensation is that most injured workers receive their benefits pretty fast. In fact, you should receive the medical benefits portion of worker's compensation even before you file your formal claim. However, if you have started receiving the medical benefits from your worker's compensation insurer, and then your claim is rejected, then these benefits will be terminated.

You Have Opted For a Lump Sum Payment

Worker's compensation benefits are typically paid out as regular payments to the injured employee. However, it doesn't have to be that way; there is an option for getting a lump-sum payment instead. Therefore, if you have been getting regular payments but have opted for a lump sum, then the regular payments will stop.

Just because someone (say an employer) says you are no longer entitled to your benefits, it doesn't mean that is the legal position. Talk to a worker's compensation lawyer like those at Gilbert, Blaszcyk & Milburn LLP if you suspect your benefits have been terminated unfairly.

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