Will I Get Paid While I’m Disabled?

Suffering a serious workplace injury can be frightening and often overwhelming. In many cases, you will have countless questions running through your head. What am I going to do without a paycheck? How will I cover my expenses? Is there any way I will get paid while I’m disabled?

Thankfully, under California workers compensation law, you may be able to collect disability benefits to cover a portion of your lost wages if an on-the-job injury has left you unable to work. In fact, the workers compensation system in California has two distinct types of disability benefits:

• Temporary disability benefits: If you are completely unable to work, you will receive temporary total disability (TTD) benefits. However, if you can work some, you may still be entitled to temporary partial disability (TPD) benefits. In any case, your temporary disability benefits will generally pay two-thirds of the pretax wages you are losing while you are recovering from your work-related injury ― although there is also a cap on the maximum amount you can receive each week.
• Permanent disability benefits: While most workers eventually recover fully from their injuries, if you are unable to do so ― meaning you still have a reduced earning capacity even after reaching your maximum medical improvement ― you may be able to collect permanent disability benefits. The amount of these benefits is generally calculated based on the number of factors, including your disability rating, which is a percentage that estimates how much your disability limits your ability to work.
• Return-To-Work Fund: You may also be eligible for supplemental payments from the Return-To-Work program if your permanent disability benefits are disproportionately low when compared to your loss of earnings.

Depending on your circumstances, you may be eligible for one, or all, of the disability payments listed above ― in addition to other workers comp benefits. However, navigating California’s complex workers compensation system can be difficult, especially without experienced legal guidance by your side. This is why you should always contact a knowledgeable lawyer as soon as possible following a work-related injury.