From health care to financial benefits, workers’ compensation has helped employees who became injured while at work in a plethora of ways. It is essential for injured workers in San Bernardino and other areas in California to understand which benefits are available to them after suffering a job-related injury or illness and use every resource that is available when trying to recover. Furthermore, injured workers may find it helpful to review relevant statistics regarding workers’ compensation and understand each of their options.
According to the United States Department of Labor, there were more than 11,000 workers’ compensation claims in the state of California as of April 3, 2016. Among these claims, over $401 million in compensation and more than $33 million in medical costs was paid out. Clearly, workers’ compensation benefits have a significant impact on the lives of injured employees (and their loved ones as well). Without these benefits, many could not have handled the financial consequences often associated with a serious workplace injury.
The Social Security Administration also published useful data concerning workers’ comp statistics. The SSA reports that roughly 128.5 million workers were covered by workers’ compensation laws at both the federal and the state level during 2011. These covered employees received $6 trillion worth of wages and more than $60 billion in workers’ comp benefits over the course of the same year. On average, employers spent roughly $612 for each protected employee in 2011. After suffering an injury at work, it is vital for employees to comprehensively review their set of circumstances and pursue any benefits they are entitled to at once.
