What is My Workers’ Compensation Claim Worth?

Every employee deserves safe, fair conditions in the workplace. Unfortunately, job-related injuries remain a serious problem in Wisconsin. The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports there were 82,400 workplace injuries reported in the state in 2017. Following an accident, injured workers need professional medical care and full workers’ compensation benefits.

The Wisconsin workers’ compensation law provides important protections to injured employees — including access to medical and financial benefits. You may be wondering how much you can receive through a workers’ compensation claim. In this article, our Milwaukee workers’ compensation lawyers explain how work injury benefits are calculated in Wisconsin.

What Benefits are Available Through Workers’ Compensation in Wisconsin

Many injured workers want to know: How much is my Wisconsin workers’ compensation claim worth? It is a complicated question. There are many different factors that impact the value of your claim. For this reason, it is crucial all work injury claims are assessed on a case-by-case basis. Your workers’ compensation award should account for the following:

• Medical Coverage: As a starting point, injured workers in Wisconsin are entitled to full medical coverage under the state’s workers’ compensation system. Under the law, all medical expenses that are “reasonable and necessary” should be covered. Of course, disputes can and do arise regarding what exactly constitutes a reasonable or needed medical care.
• Lack of sufficient medical documentation or vocational evidence;
• Temporary Disability Benefits: Next, injured Wisconsin workers are entitled to wage loss benefits. You should be paid two thirds of your average weekly wage for each day you were forced to miss on the job, assuming you miss more than three days total. Though, wage loss benefits are subject to a statutory cap. As of 2018, the maximum benefit was $994 per week.
• Other Economic Expenses: In addition to medical benefits and wage loss benefits, injured workers also may be eligible to recover financial compensation for other economic expenses that are related to their injury. As an example, workers’ compensation covers reimbursement for mileage to and from a medical appointment.
• Permanent Disability Benefits: Finally, injured workers who suffered permanent disfigurement or a permanent impairment are entitled to additional compensation for that loss. The extent of this compensation will depend entirely on the nature of the injury. Certain injuries are ‘scheduled’ — meaning benefits are set regardless of your ability to return to work. As an example, the amputation of a hand is compensated at 400 weeks of the state’s pre-set weekly rate.

If you were injured on the job, you deserve the maximum available workers’ compensation benefits. Unfortunately, many claims are wrongfully denied or underpaid. The more serious the injury, the more you can benefit from working with an experienced work injury attorney.

Contact Our Milwaukee, WI Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Today

At Gillick, Wicht, Gillick & Graf, our Wisconsin workers’ compensation lawyers fight aggressively to protect the rights of injured workers. If you or your loved one was hurt on the job, we are here to help. To get a free review of your workers’ comp claim, please contact our law firm team at (414) 257-2667. With an office in Milwaukee, we represent injured workers throughout Wisconsin.