The worse your injury from a workplace accident is, the harder it can be to get back on the job. You may require more convalescent leave to let your body rest and heal. That might mean several months without income.
In some cases, the injury can have permanent impacts that will make performing the same job difficult or even impossible. You probably know that workers’ compensation will give you disability benefits for the time you can’t work and medical benefits for your care. Those are the most well-known benefits available through workers’ compensation.
What you may not realize is that you also have the right to ask for vocational rehabilitation benefits if your injury is going to permanently change what job functions you can perform.
What is vocational rehabilitation?
A vocation is your chosen career or profession. In the context of a workplace injury, vocational rehabilitation helps those with injuries learn new skills so that they can start working again. In some cases, people need to learn new jobs. Other times, they need to learn how to perform job functions when they have limitations because of an injury or medical condition.
The more drastic the impact of an injury is, the more critical vocational rehabilitation may be. These benefits are very important for someone who still wants to support themselves after a workplace injury changes their physical abilities.
Vocational rehabilitation requires skilled assistance and training. Some insurance companies may try to avoid offering these benefits, but they are a part of the state workers’ compensation program. If you are having difficulty getting the vocational rehabilitation or other workers’ compensation benefits you need, an experienced attorney may be able to help you.