Will Workers Compensation Pay the Family Member Who Is Taking Care of Me During Treatment?

Work injuries do not just affect injured workers. They often create challenges for family members who may need to take care of the injured worker.

Missouri worker’s compensation is there for injured workers to cover their relevant medical bills, partial lost wages, and disability benefits.

In some cases, the injury doesn’t just affect the worker. A family member may have to quit their jobs in order to provide the worker for home care. does the worker’s comp cover that?

What Does the Law Say?

Missouri’s worker’s compensation laws make no mention of family members taking care of loved ones, and whether or not these services should be excluded or included in the awarded benefits.

Typically, injured workers will receive coverage for their relevant medical expenses, even those that go beyond medical tests, surgeries, or medications. Medical devices, such as canes, and physical therapy are also included.

If your condition is so severe that you require to be admitted to a facility for constant supervision, or need at-home care to help your recovery, the worker’s comp will likely pay for it, as long as your worker’s compensation doctors recommend it.

However, when it comes to family members, the insurance company will likely not cover these costs while your case is still open.

You May Have a Chance in the Settlement

Once you’ve completed your medical treatment, and are given a disability rating, meaning you either cannot return to your previous job or cannot work ever again, you’ll enter the settlement process.

Here, you will have to negotiate with the insurance company for a sum that should account for this hardship, such as future medical expenses, and lost future earnings. If you need at-home care, you may be able to negotiate this with the insurance company, even if it’s a family member taking care of you.

To succeed, you will greatly benefit from the assistance of a St. Louis worker’s compensation lawyer. Essentially, you need to convince the insurance company of how much this injury prevents you from having a normal life, and why you need at-home care. To do it, you’ll have to build a case as if you were in court, with the right evidence to back up your claim.

Why Speak With a Lawyer?

If you are dealing with a disability after your work injury, this can translate into quite a large settlement amount, especially if your condition prevents you from working ever again. A St. Louis worker’s comp attorney has the task of making sure the insurance company doesn’t try to offer a low-ball settlement by leaving out something you’d otherwise be entitled to.

Most settlement offers are final, meaning that by signing them you waive the right to go back to the company and ask for reimbursement for future medical expenses. Even if these new expenses are linked to your work injury.

Because of this, it’s simply safest for you and your well-being to discuss your case with an experienced St. Louis worker’s compensation attorney to ensure you get the full amount of compensation you are legally entitled to.