Returning to Work After Injury

Should I return to work light duty?

If you are hurt on the job, your doctor may give you work restrictions. If those restrictions prevent you from returning to your normal duties, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. To qualify for those benefits, it is important to make sure your doctor certifies disability on the correct forms and for the correct conditions. If the restrictions prevent you from returning to your normal work duties, your employer may offer you light duty work. Light duty work can be an excellent way to maintain your wages as your recover from your injury. Unfortunately, some employer’s offer light duty work as a defense to simply avoid paying temporary total disability benefits.

If your employer offers light duty work and you fail to report to work as directed, you may be disqualified from receiving future workers’ compensation benefits. To make sure employer’s act in good faith when offering light duty work, light duty job offers must meet specific criteria. Whether or not a light duty job offer qualifies as a good faith job offer under the law can be a complicated question to answer.

If you have been hurt at work, it helps to have experienced workers’ compensation attorneys on your side from the beginning. An offer of light duty work may impact your claim for years. If you have been hurt on the job, don’t wait to seek representation. Employer’s understand their rights and defenses. The attorneys at Larrimer & Larrimer, LLC will make sure your rights are protected.