Workers in certain professions have a higher degree of risk of developing a spinal cord injury while on the job than others. Construction workers, for example, are more likely to work at a significant elevation and to therefore end up injured if they fall than those who work in an office setting.
Those who drive for a living could very easily end up in a crash that causes a spinal cord injury. Machinery malfunctions in manufacturing settings and even interpersonal violence could also lead to a spinal cord injury. Spinal cord injuries can vary drastically in their overall severity depending on their location and whether they are complete or incomplete injuries. Even those with incomplete injuries relatively low on the spine can expect to experience major disruptions to their careers and major medical needs. Thankfully, the Florida workers’ compensation program can generally help those who have suffered a spinal cord injury related to their employment.
The benefits can pay for treatment
The health care required to treat or manage a spinal cord injury can be prohibitively expensive. People often have hundreds of thousands of dollars in expenses, especially if they require intensive therapy or surgery. Given that workers may not ever fully recover, they will likely receive a combination of care to stabilize their injury and then ongoing care to manage their symptoms. The Florida workers’ compensation program can fully cover necessary treatment and ongoing symptom management care even after someone achieves the maximum of medical improvement (MMI) for their spinal cord injury.
The benefits can replace lost wages
Workers in Florida who are eligible for workers’ compensation coverage can potentially ask for disability benefits when they cannot work because of an injury. A spinal cord injury will likely necessitate at least a temporary hospitalization, which might mean weeks or even months without any income at all. Workers with lasting functional limitations generated by a spinal cord injury may require permanent total disability benefits in some cases. They may also qualify for permanent partial disability benefits if they will have limits on the type of work they can perform because of an injury.
Following best practices when seeking workers’ compensation benefits and learning about how the program works may help those with serious job injuries mitigate the consequences of their medical conditions.