According to the Department of Industrial Relations, temporary disability benefits can help people who were injured on the job and are struggling with the consequences of lost wages due to an inability to work. In San Bernardino, and other cities in California, it is important to recognize the differences between temporary partial disability and temporary total disability, the factors that impact how much an injured worker receives and when payments will stop, among other matters.
Injured employees are able to receive temporary partial disability benefits if they are able to perform certain job responsibilities, while those who can’t do any work receive temporary total disability benefits. With regard to the amount of temporary disability benefits an injured employee is entitled to, many factors come into play, such as whether they had an increase or decrease in earnings, had more than one job when the injury took place, were planning on receiving a raise following the date they were injured or held a seasonal position at the time of the injury.
Temporary disability benefits cease if an employee can return to work and receive the income they earned when the injury occurred, a physician says a worker is able to resume their responsibilities, an individual has received benefits for too long or their condition is deteriorating or not showing signs of improvement.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics states that almost three million non-fatal illnesses and injuries were reported by employers in the private sector during 2014. Clearly, a large number of people in California and across the nation are injured while working each year and it is crucial for people who find themselves in this position to understand which benefits are available.
