When you are injured or become ill while carrying out work-related tasks, you are entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits are designed to help ease employees’ economic burden following their injuries.
What Benefits are Available to Injured Workers in Ohio?
There are various benefits available to injured workers under workers’ compensation. The type of benefits you qualify for will depend on the circumstances of your case.
Wage Loss
One type of benefit is wage loss benefits. These benefits are awarded to workers who have experienced injuries that have resulted in restrictions on their abilities to perform on-the-job tasks. Employees may be unable to perform their regular duties when they return to work, and their wages will be reduced.
Percent of Permanent Partial
These benefits compensate workers who suffered permanent impairments due to a job-related injury or illness.
Travel Disbursement
These benefits are paid to compensate for travel expenses under certain circumstances. These are outlined under the injured worker reimbursement rates schedule.
Schedule Loss
This is given in compensation for amputation or the loss of use of a specific body part due to work-related injuries or illnesses.
What Is the Process for Distributing Workers’ Comp Benefits?
The Ohio Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) is responsible for compensating injured workers in Ohio. However, there are instances when this is not the case, for example, if you cannot provide a social security number.
When your claim is accepted, the BWC mails the first part of the compensation as a paper check. This check is sent to your home address. It is accompanied by a letter that provides instructions on signing up for direct deposit payments.
If you provide an existing personal bank account, the rest of the payments will be made there.
However, if you fail to do so, the BWC will set you up with a debit card account for Key Bank Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT). This card will give you access to the money anywhere MasterCard accepts.
When Can You Expect to Receive Benefits?
The BWC takes up to 28 days to decide whether to accept or deny your claim. Once your claim is accepted, the payments will begin almost immediately. Most workers start to receive payments within a month of their claim being accepted.
How Are Benefits Paid to Victims?
Injured workers are eligible to receive payments through the following methods.
Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT)
EFT involves the automatic transfer of benefits or travel payments directly into the personal account provided by the injured worker. Injured workers must apply for this service.
Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT)
EBT is a Key Bank debit card program. The benefits are transferred to the debit card account automatically. Workers may be enrolled in the program automatically if they do not provide details of a personal account or by applying for the service.
Let Us Help You Collect Workers’ Comp
If you have been injured at work or suffered a work-related injury, you don’t have to face the process of seeking workers’ compensation alone. Contact Kademenos, Wisehart, Hines, Dolyk & Wright Co. LPA for a free consultation with our law firm’s experienced personal injury lawyers.