In Missouri, workers’ compensation claims are governed by Chapter 287 of the Missouri Revised Statutes. This chapter of Missouri law lays out all the rules regarding workers’ compensation claims in our state. Two of the biggest rules in the chapter, though, are the parts that deal with the differences between permanent and temporary disabilities, and the ones that deal with the differences between partial and total disabilities. Depending on which categories your injury puts you in, you could get drastically different benefits for your workplace injury.
Disability Benefits Categories in Missouri
Because of the differences between permanent and temporary disabilities, on the one hand, and partial and total disabilities on the other, there are four different categories in Missouri’s workers’ compensation scheme:
- Temporary partial disability
- Temporary total disability
- Permanent partial disability
- Permanent total disability
Temporary Partial Disability
The category for temporary partial disabilities is for the least severe workplace injuries that you can suffer. A temporary partial disability allows you to return to work after your injury, but in a lesser capacity because you can’t complete all of the tasks that you’re supposed to with your injury.
Temporary Total Disability
A more serious injury than a temporary, but partial disability, an injury that leads to a temporary total disability leaves you unable to return to work while you recover. This often requires a doctor’s note saying that you can’t go back to work while you deal with your injury. Importantly, if the doctor says that you can still manage light work, this will likely lower your injury down to a partial disability.
Permanent Partial Disability
Permanent disabilities are far more serious than temporary ones because it means you’ll never get back to the functionality that you had before the work accident. A permanent partial disability comes from an injury that prevents you from doing the tasks you did before the accident, but leaves you with enough functionality that you can still work in some capacity.
Permanent Total Disability
Finally, workplace injuries that result in a permanent and total disability are the most serious that you can suffer. These injuries mean you can no longer work at any job, leaving you essentially outside the workforce and unable to make an income as an employee.
St. Joseph and Kansas City Workers’ Compensation Attorneys
If you’re on the job and get hurt, it makes a huge difference which category your injury falls into. The more serious the injury, the more the Missouri workers’ compensation law will reimburse you for your personal injuries and your lost wages.
This is why it’s so important to have one of the workers’ compensation attorneys at the Smith Law Office at your side throughout the process. By legally representing numerous other clients in the workers’ compensation process, we can ensure you get the compensation that you deserve by proving exactly how debilitating your injuries have been.
Contact our workers’ compensation attorneys by calling our law office at (816) 875-9373 or contact us online.