Workplace injuries, whether they are suffered by those in jobs with inherent risks or those who work a simple office job, can be debilitating keeping you from returning to work for a significant length of time. When this happens, paying for housing, food and life’s other necessities can be difficult if not impossible. Thankfully, depending on the circumstances you may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits.
What types of workers’ compensation benefits are available in Connecticut?
There are a variety of benefits Connecticut’s workers’ compensation system offers to qualifying individuals. They include:
- Full pay for the day you suffered the injury at issue
- Temporary total disability benefits
- Relapse or recurrence benefits
- Right of transfer to suitable work
- Temporary partial disability benefits
- Permanent partial disability benefits
- Disfigurement and scarring benefits
- Dependent survivor (“fatality”) benefits
The type of benefits you are entitled to depends on the facts of your case. No two cases are alike, and benefits your coworker, neighbor or friend received may not be the same benefits you receive.
Will I get benefits right away?
While you are entitled to the full wages of day you were injured, whether or not you were able to return to work afterwards, there is a waiting period for temporary total disability or temporary partial disability benefits. These benefits will not be paid until you have been out of work due to your injuries for more than three calendar days. However, if you remain out of work for seven or more calendar days, you will receive benefits for time covering the three-day waiting period. These calendar days are counted even if you were not scheduled to work on them. The day you were injured does not count as one of the three calendar days.
Workers’ compensation protects the interests of Connecticut workers
Workers injured on the job in Eastern Connecticut may have many concerns about how they will make ends meet financially if their injury prevents them from working. No one wants to make difficult choices about what bills to pay and what bills to let slide another month. The state of Connecticut recognizes this and offers qualifying persons workers’ compensation benefits to help them financially while they are recovering from a workplace injury.
