What Does New York Workers Comp Cover?

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What does New York Workers Comp cover?

Workers comp insurance is designed to help cover your medical bills, pay for some of your lost earnings, and help get you back to work.

Assuming you meet the criteria to qualify, you can expect tax-free reimbursement and compensation for just about every financial loss and expense relating to your injury or illness.

So stay tuned for a breakdown of everything that it covers!

My name is Rex Zachofsky and I became a New York workers compensation lawyer 17 years ago after getting injured on the job. If you’re looking for a lawyer to help you with your claim with New York Workers Compensation Benefits, please give me a call at 212-406-8989 to schedule a free consultation.

We’re also able to assist with Personal Injury Matters, Social Security Disability, and Labor & Employment Issues.

Cash Benefits

If your injury or illness keeps you from work for more than seven days or results in you working fewer hours and getting paid less money, then New York workers’ comp pays a portion of your lost wages in the form of cash benefits.

If you are 100% disabled and unable to work for a temporary period of time then you’ll receive two-thirds of your average pre-injury weekly wage.

If you are only partially disabled then the amount you receive will vary depending on your percentage of disability.

For an in-depth explanation of how to calculate your weekly cash benefits, watch my other video breaking down how much New York workers’ comp pays. I’ll include a link at the end of this video.

Medical Benefits

All medical expenses relating to your injury or illness are covered by your employer’s insurance, including dental, surgical, optometry, pharmaceutical, and any assistive devices.

If you have sustained an injury and require immediate medical attention then you can visit any health care provider and have your treatment covered.

But if you require ongoing care then you need to make sure your doctor is authorized by the Workers’ Compensation Board in order to have your expenses reimbursed.

I will include a link to the online search tool for authorized health care providers in the description below.

You can also be reimbursed for any travel expenses related to your treatment, including mileage and public transportation, so keep your receipts!

Permanent Disability

If you have sustained a permanent disability then workers’ comp will pay for the permanent effects of the injury or illness.

If you are totally, 100% disabled then you may be able to receive two-thirds of your average pre-injury weekly wage for the rest of your life.

And if you suffered a partial permanent disability then you can receive a payout based on the body part that was injured and the percentage of disability.

If you would like to see some example calculations of permanent disability payouts, stick around to the end!

Death Benefits

If a worker passes away as a result of a work-related injury or illness, their surviving spouse, minor children, and any dependents may receive death benefits.

The amount paid is usually two-thirds of the worker’s average weekly wage for the previous year.

If they don’t have any surviving heirs then their estate might be eligible to receive a lump-sum payment of $50,000.

New York workers comp will also reimburse funeral costs up to a maximum amount.

Just because all of these costs and expenses are covered doesn’t mean your claim will be approved or you will be awarded the amount of compensation you deserve.

Insurance companies deny claims all the time, and will even reduce your benefits in a shameless attempt to save money!

For example, one of my clients was looking at a payout around $47,000 before she started working with me, but together we were eventually able to get her $117,000—more than TWICE the original amount!

So if you need to file a New York Workers’ Comp claim and would like a lawyer who will fight for what you deserve, give me a call at 212-406-8989 and schedule a free consultation today.

And if you want to understand how to do the calculations for cash benefits and permanent disabilities, I’ll include a link to that video here: Click to watch this video next, and I’ll see you there!