Workers’ Compensation: Benefits Available Under Nevada law
Workers’ compensation is an essential no-fault insurance system that provides much needed benefits to workers whose work-related injuries or illnesses prevent them from being able to engage in employment and earn a living. Under workers’ compensation, injured employees are eligible to recover medical benefits and benefits for wage supplementation, both of which are essential to a worker who requires treatment and is unable to earn income.
At Shook & Stone, our Las Vegas workers’ compensation lawyers have helped numerous hard-working women and men throughout the state of Nevada when they suffered injuries on the job. With decades of combined experience, our legal team is able to fully educate our clients about the workers’ comp system, their rights, and what benefits they may be able to secure. In every case we handle, we also strive to ensure full and fair benefits are secured as swiftly as possible.
Aside from benefits for medical treatment, injured workers have a right to recover financial wage supplementation. How these benefits are awarded will depend on the nature of a worker’s disability. For example, injured workers will be classified according to their disability:
- Temporary Total Disability – Temporary total disability (TTD) is a classification for workers whose injuries prevent them from engaging in employment for 5 or more days in a role, or for 5 total days in a period of 20 days. Physicians must support the nature of a workers’ injuries with medical documentation. When classified for TTD, workers will be able to receive benefits at 66 2/3 percent of the average wage they earn in a month. The maximum yearly amount is capped, however. In 2012, the annual cap for TTD benefits was roughly $61,000.
- Permanent Partial Disability – Injured workers who obtain ongoing treatment for their work injuries may not always make a full recovery. When it is determined by a doctor that a worker sustained a permanent partial disability (PPD), the extent of their disability and how it affects their ability to work will determine the amount of benefits they receive. Benefits for permanent partial disability are calculated on .6% of average monthly wages.
- Permanent Total Disability – When workers suffer from a permanent total disability and are unable to engage in any type of work, they can receive benefits at a rate of 66 2/3 of their monthly average income. These benefits are awarded for as long as a worker is unable to secure employment. Being classified under permanent total disability can be a challenging process, which is why working with experienced attorneys and providing full medical documentation becomes important.
- Death Benefits – In addition to providing benefits to injured workers, Nevada workers’ compensation also provides benefits to families of workers who were lost in fatal workplace accidents. Under state law, certain eligible family members of the deceased worker will receive benefits for funeral expenses, in addition to 66 2/3 of their average monthly income.
Workers’ compensation provides the crucial safety net victims and their families need following work accidents, but navigating the system and securing a successful resolution is not always an easy matter. At Shook & Stone, we help clients navigate all aspects of workers’ compensation cases and handle the legal work while they focus on recovering. If you have questions about the types of benefits available under workers’ compensation and what you may be eligible to recover based on your unique situation, our legal team is readily available to review your case and answer any questions you may have.
To speak with a workers’ comp lawyer from Shook & Stone during a FREE consultation, contact us today.