It is common to need to make a workers’ compensation claim if you’re hurt on the job. Most people know that if they have to miss several days or weeks of work because of a work-related injury or illness, their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance is there to cover it.
What they may not realize is that the amount of compensation they can get is limited by the state. How much you’ll receive for an injury or illness will depend on your specific situation and factors like the severity of your injury and how much time you have to miss from work. In an average claim of six to 18 months, you’ll be able to claim around 70% of your pre-injury salary. This was capped at $971 for those injured between October 2019 and September 2020, and it changes by the year.
How much will you get for a workers’ compensation claim?
There are different cut-off points for replacement wages in 2022, depending on the type you’ll receive.
- The temporary income benefits, or TIBS, maximum is $1,058
- Supplemental income benefits, or SIBs, are set at a maximum of $741
- Impairment income benefits, or IIBs, are limited to $741
- Lifetime income benefits, or LIBs, are limited to $1,058
- Death benefits, maxed, are limited to $1,058
Along with these maximums, there are minimum benefits, too. However, the minimum benefit is only $159 per month regardless of the category. There is no applicable SIBs minimum.
Since 2006, the state average weekly wage, or SAWW, has been set at 88% of the average weekly wage. Your benefits will be based on 70% of your pre-injury salary and may fall somewhere within the range set by the state above. Some benefits, like LIBs, may be as much as 75% of your average weekly wage.
Looking at this, it’s easy to see how workers’ compensation claims can be complex. It’s important to consider all angles of your case to make sure you get as much compensation as possible after you are hurt. These are just some of the benefits you may be entitled to through workers’ compensation.