Struggling After a Work Accident? How to Cope With Disability Wages

After an on-the-job injury, workers may be entitled to several benefits from their employer's workers' compensation plan. Besides medical care, workers may also be entitled to a partial wage. This disability wage can make a huge difference for those struggling to make ends meet after an injury. To find out more, read on.

Your Disability Wage

Once your doctor orders you to stay home from work, your disability wage will begin. Don't expect to be paid your usual salary, however. Most states pay hurt workers a huge chunk of their usual wage. Disability wages are paid differently than your salary. Here is what to know about disability wages:

• In many cases, your wage check will appear weekly. Some states and plans, however, pay differently based on your medical condition. Also, you might have your disability payment deposited directly into your bank account rather than get a paper check. Since this varies, speak to your employer and your employer's insurer to find out more.
• The disability wage is not the same thing as income and that means you won't need to pay income taxes on it nor will any taxes be deducted from the payments. This helps make things easier financially for hurt workers.
• You won't be paid your normal pay until you return to work. That means deductions like your 401(k) and health insurance premium payments could be put on hold. Ask your human resources department how you can continue to pay those expenses in the meantime.

Problems With Disability Wages

Many hurt workers breeze through the recuperation period and return to their jobs in a few weeks. However, not all workers are that fortunate. Take a look at a few common issues some workers experience with their workers' compensation disability wages:

• Your disability wage fails to be paid or appears late.
• You are informed that you must return to work and that your disability wages will end immediately. Unfortunately, you are not medically ready to return to your previous job.
• You are fired while receiving disability wages.

Any one of the above problems is unacceptable for a hurt worker. Each state has laws in place to protect workers from the above actions. For example, late or missing disability wages may be subject to penalties and interest payments for the insurer. If you are experiencing problems with your claim, speak to a workers' comp lawyer. They'll know the intricacies of the laws in your state from A to Z and can help you get the benefits you deserve and need.