Work Injury Benefits
Disability / Work Injury Benefit
Disability and work injury benefits are regulated under the Workers' Compensation Act of 2000. Work injuries can lead to the following four situations: (i) permanent total incapacity, (ii) permanent partial incapacity, (iii) temporary incapacity, and (iv) fatal injury leading to the death of a worker.
For temporary disability, a percentage of the insured worker’s earnings is paid. The benefit is paid after a three-day waiting period until full recovery or certification of permanent disability.
For permanent disability, where the insured worker is assessed with a total disability, a lump sum of 54 months of the insured worker’s earnings is paid. In the case of partial disability, a percentage of the full benefit is paid depending on the assessed degree of disability.
The employer pays the cost of reasonable medical expenses for medical, surgical, dental, and hospital treatment; skilled nursing services; medicine; prostheses; mechanical aids; and transportation.
In the case of fatal injury leading to death, a lump sum of 42 months of the deceased worker’s last monthly earnings (minus any disability benefit paid before the date of death) is paid to the survivors. Eligible dependents include members of the insured worker’s family. If a worker leaves no dependents behind, the employer is required to bear the reasonable expenses of medical attendance on the deceased worker and the burial expenses.
Employers are not required to pay work injury benefits in the following cases: if the work injury leads to incapacity for less than seven days; if the injury or death is a result of deliberate self-injury; and if the injury is a result of wilful misconduct of the worker.
Source: §7-16 of the Workers’ Compensation Act, 2000
