Many people, especially insurance companies and employers, assume that most injured employees would rather file for workers’ compensation instead of returning to work. While this certainly can apply to some employees on workers comp, it doesn’t apply to all. A majority of injured employees are more likely to negotiate for a fair lump sum settlement. They’d rather return to work than sit around at home get ongoing benefits.
Here are a few of the reasons why many injured employees consider going back to work rather than live off workers comp.
Financial Loss
In South Carolina, you’ll only receive a percentage of your income if you’re collecting workers’ compensation benefits.The payment rate is 66 ⅔% of your average weekly wages. For 2017, the maximum weekly payment was $806.92, which is disadvantageous if you make more than this per week.
This loss of income can cause a huge impact on you and your family, especially if you were living paycheck to paycheck.
Frustration
Workers comp is supposed to be an easy and effective way for employees to get compensated for their injuries and illnesses. But there are certain specifications that make it difficult for injured employees to keep up with.
Many times, you’ll have to visit doctors and rehabilitation specialists that the insurance company chooses for you.
You may end up waiting a long time for an investigation into your workers’ comp claim. You might find that it’s more beneficial to just return to work to receive a paycheck.
It’s especially common for injured employees to comment on how slow the workers comp process is. The sheer frustration of having to wait on others to get things done for them causes employees to return to work.
Boredom
Many employees have worked their entire lives so they’re simply not used to sitting around at home all day. A lot of people would rather work hard and earn a respectable income. Sitting at home for days, weeks, or months at a time can become frustrating. It can lead to depression and anxiety – which may slow down recovery time. To make things worse, sometimes the insurance companies monitor the injured employee to ensure they aren’t doing any activity that may compromise their benefits.
There are many reasons why injured employees choose to return to work early. The truth is that the insurance companies know this and therefore typically low-ball their settlement offers. Workers comp is usually the best and sometimes the only option for an injured employee.
If you need help with filing your workers comp claim, contact The Clardy Law Firm. We’ll help ensure you get the benefits you need and deserve so that you can focus on healing and not on rushing back to work too soon.
