Workers Compensation Law Terms

The law sets out to protect workers through workers’ compensation. Put briefly, workers’ compensation law provides workers with a right to file a claim seeking compensation for any harm or injury suffered in the workplace. However, most workers find it hard to file a claim based on the complex legislation governing workers’ compensation. In addition, in the event that they file a claim for compensation, they may grapple with the complicated legal jargon associated with workers’ compensation laws. This may ultimately impact them negatively, and they end up making an uninformed decision. That said, here is a breakdown of some of the workers compensation law terms to help you navigate the process.

Workers Compensation Law Terms

Once you’ve decided to file a workers’ compensation claim, it would be imperative to work with a workers’ compensation attorney. Apart from providing you with legal representation, your attorney will have your best interest at hand and ensure that everything goes according to plan. The following are some of the common terms in this area of law. Their definitions have been provided by DWC

Adjuster

This is the representative of the workers’ compensation insurance company. They are tasked with dealing with the injured worker regarding their claim. Also, they are responsible for approving or denying any medical care and payment for time lost from work.

Compensation Rate

The rate at which workers’ compensation benefits are paid to the injured worker.

Statute of Limitations

This is the deadline for filing a workers’ compensation claim or an appeal if your claim was denied.

Administrative Law Judge (ALJ)

An administrative law judge -in your state’s workers’ compensation administration- is the adjudicator who decides your case if your workers’ compensation claim was denied.

Indemnity

This is the amount of compensation paid to an injured worker, either as they recover from a temporary injury or a permanent injury.

First Report of Injury

This is a mandatory requirement in many states, requiring injured workers to file a first report of injury with that state’s workers’ compensation administration.

Independent Medical Examination (IME)

This medical examination sets out to assess your condition after an injury to determine the extent of the injury, especially where a permanent injury is concerned. Quite frankly, IMEs are often performed by doctors chosen by the insurance company. They (IMEs) aim to dispute your claim to reduce or deny you any benefits.

Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)

The FCE denotes an evaluation that determines whether an injured worker can perform tasks related to their work.

Permanent Partial Disability(PPD)

Put simply, a worker has PPD if permanently impaired but can still work in some form.

Permanent Total Disability(PTD)

Permanent total disability occurs if a worker suffers serious injuries -such as losing a body part- which renders them unable to work.

Repetitive Stress Injury (RSI)

This type of injury occurs when a worker repeats the same motions over a lengthy period.

For more workers’ compensation law terms, check out The Slaughter Law Firm. At Slaughter Law, we envision providing legal help to anyone, including workers seeking workers’ compensation. Contact us online here today to schedule a free consultation.