New Hampshire Workers’ Comp Covers All Employees.
It doesn’t matter whose fault the injury was. In most cases, employees can get workers’ comp, including part-time, temporary, and immigrant workers. Undocumented workers are eligible for most types of workers’ compensation benefits, including payment of medical bills.
Injured Workers’ Benefits:
New Hampshire Workers’ Compensation law is designed to help people who have an accidental injury or illness suffered while working. The basic worker’s compensation benefits include lost wages (known as indemnity benefits), payment of medical bills, vocational rehabilitation, and sometimes even for permanent injuries or impairments.
Weekly Indemnity Checks:
Weekly checks repaid to you in place of your check that you usually receive from your employer. They are your lost wages. Under the law, if you are disabled while working, you are entitled to a check from the insurance carrier in the amount of 60% of your gross average weekly wage. Generally, your average weekly wage is calculated on the last 26 weeks (or up to 52 weeks whichever is more advantageous to the employee) of paychecks before your injury
Medical, Hospital & Remedial Care:
Any medical bills you incur are automatically paid by the insurance carrier as long as they are directly related to the workplace injury, and are reasonable and necessary. This provision usually includes costs associated with prescriptions and over the counter medicines or mobile devices and reimbursement for mileage to and from the doctors’ offices.
Vocational Rehabilitation:
In some cases, vocational rehabilitation may also be appropriate. If your doctor has released you to return to work, but are unable to return to your prior employment, you may be entitled to receive help in finding a new job or occupation by way of a private vocational rehabilitation specialist, paid by an insurance carrier.
Permanent Impairment Award:
If the doctor says you have a permanent impairment, you are entitled to a certain sum of money depending upon the extent of your injury. This award is evaluated by using the 5th Edition of the American Medical Association Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment
Please do not hesitate to contact our office if you or someone you know needs assistance. Attorney John FitzGerald was a former Workers’ Compensation Hearings Officer at the NH Department of Labor and has over 32 years concentrating in workers’ compensation law. Always a free consultation!
Patch & FitzGerald: Relentless Advocates, Winning Results.