Lakewood Workers’ Compensation Attorneys

Workers’ compensation is a type of no-fault insurance provided to employees at no cost through their employers. It offers benefits for injuries, illnesses, or diseases caused by the job without requiring workers to prove their employer was at fault.

However, employees must take certain steps to get workers’ comp benefits, including reporting their injury to their employer within 10 days and providing medical documentation that directly connects their condition to their work.

Yes, workers’ compensation is mandatory in Colorado for most employers. Any business with 1 or more full- or part-time employees, including family members, is required to provide workers’ compensation insurance to their employees. However, certain groups are excluded from the workers’ comp requirement in Colorado, including:

• Independent contractors who are not classified as employees
• Farmworkers and maintenance workers who earn less than $2,000 a year
• Domestic workers, such as nannies or housekeepers, who work less than 5 days or 40 hours per week
• Certain drivers working under a lease agreement with a common or contract transportation carrier
• Railroad workers

If you’ve been hurt on the job in Colorado and are unsure whether you or your employer fall under one of these categories, be sure to discuss your case with a local Denver workman’s comp attorney so you don’t miss out on the benefits you’re owed.

There are several types of workers’ comp benefits available to injured Colorado workers, with payment amounts calculated based on the worker’s average weekly wage (AWW) before the injury. They include:

• Medical benefits. Workers’ comp covers all reasonable and necessary medical treatment for a work-related injury or illness, including doctor visits, hospital stays, medication, therapy, and medical equipment.
• Temporary disability benefits. These benefits replace lost wages while you’re temporarily unable to work or earning less due to your injury:
  
  
  • Temporary total disability (TTD). If you cannot work at all on a temporary basis, TTD benefits cover two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a state-mandated maximum.
  • Temporary partial disability (TPD). If you can work but earn less than your pre-injury wages, TPD benefits cover two-thirds of the difference between your current and pre-injury earnings.
• Permanent disability benefits. If your injury results in a permanent impairment, you may be eligible for:
  
  
  • Permanent partial disability (PPD). Compensation is based on your impairment rating and affected body part(s).
  • Permanent total disability (PTD). For injuries that prevent you from ever returning to work, PTD benefits provide two-thirds of your AWW, subject to state caps.
• Vocational rehabilitation benefits. If you’re capable of some form of work but can no longer perform the job duties at your previous job, workers’ comp provides benefits to help with job retraining and education.
• Death benefits. If a worker dies from a work-related injury or illness, their dependents may receive wage replacement benefits and coverage for funeral expenses.

Additionally, workers with serious or catastrophic work injuries need to understand that these benefit amounts are negotiable. So, make sure you know how much your claim is really worth before accepting a settlement offer from the insurance company. When in doubt, reach out to a workers’ compensation attorney to get an accurate estimate of the full value of your claim.