Workers’ compensation or disability: Which is right for you?

Workers’ compensation is a benefit provided to you if you’re hurt on the job. It is designed to be an alternative to taking your employer to court and suing for damages. Workers’ compensation insurance instead pays for medical bills and other needs until you can work again, be retrained or need to be on disability benefits through the government.

State disability benefits give you weekly benefits if you’re injured away from work but cannot work your job after the injury. You don’t necessarily need to suffer a physical injury to obtain state disability benefits, and even though who have never worked have the potential to receive these benefits.

Workers’ compensation benefits are only paid temporarily. Once your condition is stable, they stop. You’ll either begin to receive permanent disability benefits and lifetime care through the federal government or state disability benefits. The catch is that state disability benefits only provide you with an income for 52 weeks.

It’s possible you may be able to obtain both your workers’ compensation benefits and Social Security benefits depending on the situation. If you’ve paid enough money into the Social Security system and are going to be disabled for at least a year and a day, you might be able to obtain both forms of compensation simultaneously.

If you’re not sure which benefits you can seek, your attorney can help. Depending on your case, one benefit might be better than another, or you may have access to multiple benefits that can support you at the same time. With the right help, you can make sure you get all the benefits you deserve.

Source: FindLaw, “The Difference Between Workers’ Comp and Disability Benefits,” accessed Aug. 14, 2017