People who work in Columbus may suffer injury or illness no matter the type of industry or job for which they are employed. When these happen, victims of injury and disease can sustain not only physical damage but also financial and emotional harm. The costs associated with lost wages, medical expenses and more can all take a toll on workers and their families. For this reason, the state’s system of workers’ compensation is important in obtaining financial assistance during such times.
A work environment that leads to an illness or an accident that results in a person injured at work are the general types of situations that prompt a workers’ compensation filing. The nature of the injury can vary greatly and for those people who are forced to miss work due to their injuries or illnesses, Ohio’s workers’ compensation system provides for different types of benefits. These include temporary total disability wage loss, permanent partial disability and permanent total disability.
Temporary total benefits are paid for workers unable to work for eight or more days. For workers who miss more than 14 days of work, benefits can be paid for the first week missed as well. Upon returning to work, even in a partial or part-time capacity, these benefits will cease but other benefits may become available.
The amount of money paid for lost wages is calculated based upon the individual workers’ wages but with a maximum rate. For the first 12 weeks of disability in which an employee cannot work, the benefits will equal 72 percent of their normal wage and thereafter will drop to 66.67 percent of the normal wage. This amount, however, cannot exceed the amount calculated to be an average weekly wage for all Ohio residents.
Employees who are injured on the job should file what is called a First Report of Injury. This FROI includes all incident details as well as injury specifics. A decision to approve or deny a claim is made by the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation within 28 days and any appeals must be made within 14 days.
Filing for workers’ compensation can be an uneasy and complicated process for many people. Working with a qualified and experienced attorney is recommended to help provide the right level of compensation.
