Generally, whenever a worker is injured on the job, he or she is entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits are available when an employee is diagnosed with an illness due to workplace toxins; when a repetitive stress condition such as carpal tunnel develops; or when an accident happens either off-site or at the normal place of business. You are not required to prove that your employer was negligent in order to be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. As long as it is clear that your injury is job-related, you should be entitled to:

• Full coverage of medical expenses : You should have 100 percent of all medical treatment costs covered for care you require due to your workplace accident or illness.
• Temporary disability benefits : If your injury or illness causes you to miss days of work, then you should receive partial lost wages based on your earnings before you were disabled (up to maximum state limits). In some cases, you may be able to work but not at the same job or not as often. When this occurs, you can receive partial benefits to compensate for the reduction in your earning potential.
• Permanent disability benefits : When you have reached maximum medical improvement or your temporary disability benefits have ended, then you may qualify for permanent disability benefits if your illness or injury continues to persist. Permanent benefits may be paid for both full and partial disabilities.
• Death benefits : Dependents whose loved ones were killed at work or due to a workplace illness may receive death benefits through workers’ compensation.

Under the law, you are not allowed to sue your employer for a work injury, so workers’ compensation is generally your only option for recovering compensation for lost wages and medical costs from your employer. Contact a Baton Rouge workers’ compensation lawyer for help pursuing a claim for these benefits to ensure you have the financial support you need.