A worker in New York, whether they live in New City, Westchester County or in some of the neighborhoods like the Bronx or Manhattan, will likely a lot to deal with should she get hurt or sick because of her job. In addition to the emotional stress of the situation and the physical pain, the worker will also likely, and very quickly, begin to wonder how exactly she will be able to make ends meet with mounting medical bills and no paycheck.
Fortunately, New York’s workers’ compensation program offers benefits on a no-fault basis that can provide injured workers some relief. To give an overview of these benefits, an employer or the employer’s insurance company, is expected to cover an injured worker’s necessary medical care, so long as that care is related to the on-the-job illness or injury. By way of example, if an employee hurts his back at work, then the employer must pay for things like the x-ray, pain medication and even surgery if that is required.
Additionally, employees who miss significant time from work because of an injury, more than two weeks for example, may be entitled to have some of their lost wages covered even retroactive to their first day away from work. The amount of this benefit is two-thirds of the employee’s average wage in a given week times the employee’s disability rating. The disability rating is a percentage determined based on the type and extent of the worker’s injury, and it can be subject to dispute. The most a worker may receive from this benefit, at least through June of this year, is $907.74 per week.
Workers’ compensation is complicated. And, while this hopefully serves as an overview of some of the benefits workers’ compensation offers, this blog post is not intended to be legal advice.
