The Truth About Being Injured at Work and Your Rights to Social Security Disability Benefits

Not every person who is injured at work or on the job is going to be entitled to Social Security Disability benefits. Under the workers’ compensation law if your physician says that you are unable to work, you are entitled to a benefit called temporary total disability benefits. If your doctor says that you are unable to work while you are recovering and you are able to return to work to earn less that you were making at the time of the accident, you may be entitled to temporary total disability benefits. If your doctor says you are able to work while you are recovering and you were able to return to work and earn less that you were making at the time of the accident, you may be entitled to temporary partial disability benefits. Those benefits normally continue until you reach what’s called maximum medical improvement. Maximum medical improvement is defined at the point in which you have recovered that magic day, MMI, is the day that your temporary benefits cease. That may be a short as two days or in Florida, the payment of 104 weeks of compensation benefits.

One of the eligibility requirements for Social Security Disability benefits is that you be able to work for at least one year. If you are able to return to work within that one year period of time, you will be unable to receive Social Security Disability benefits.

If you have been injured on the job and have questions about your rights to Social Security Disability benefits, you should consult and experienced workers’ compensation and Social Security Disability lawyer to learn more about your rights to these valuable benefits.