Workers’ Comp Benefits In D.C. Are Based On ALL Of Your Income
That’s usually where the problem comes in. The workers’ comp insurance company is supposed to take all of your income from the 26 weeks (six months) before your injury. The average of that is the amount your weekly benefits are based on – it’s called your average weekly wage.
But they can’t always count. They need to count all overtime, differentials, bonuses, tips, wages – everything. The adjuster doesn’t always get the right information on the wages or doesn’t understand the need to count tips and bonuses, or doesn’t have time to deal with it.
Attentive Businesswoman Holding Paper Letter in Hands Reading Important InformationIt’s one of the first things we do for a new client who was hurt at work. And sometimes it pays off big.
Here’s a good example of how we doubled our client’s workers comp benefits by including all his income – it ultimately led to a very favorable settlement. And he had no idea the insurance company was paying him the wrong amount before he came to us.
No one would – and workers’ comp insurance companies know that. They know 99% of injured workers aren’t going to check that or really know their rights. Contact the work comp attorneys at Donahoe Kearney to learn more about your rights.
If You Have A Second Job, We Help You Get Benefits From That Too
And here’s another tip – if you’re working a second job at the time you get hurt, wages from both jobs are included in the calculation. We represent a nurse who had a second part-time job as a home health aid and the insurance company was only paying her benefits based on one job. We forced them to include income from both jobs and that increased her benefits by over $200 per week. Just like that. It literally pays to have us as your workers’ comp lawyers!
We Make It Easy – All You Have To Do Is Call
Looking for help in a similar situation? Call us today at 202-393-3320 for the help you need and the benefits you deserve.
First, It Is Important You File For Benefits In The Right State
Workers’ compensation rates can vary. You may know that they can vary greatly from state to state – which is why it’s important to file in the correct state. Filing your worker’s comp claim in the wrong place can mean hundreds of dollars lost in workers’ compensation benefits every week – click here to see how we doubled how much our client was receiving in workers’ compensation benefits.
Not Only Can The Workers’ Comp Rate Vary From State To State, but The Maximum Rate Can also Vary From Year To Year
The maximum compensation rate is the number of benefits high-wage earners in DC will receive. Remember, workers comp benefits while you are out of work because of an on-the-job injury are 2/3 of your average weekly income (in D.C. the average is usually calculated using your last 26 weeks of income). The max rate is the top amount the worker’s comp insurance company has to pay you under the law. In DC, for example, the maximum workers’ compensation rate is set every year. Take for instance that the maximum workers’ compensation rate in DC in 1985 was only $396….compare that to the relatively updated figure for 2017.
For Example, The Maximum Rate In 2017 Was $1,467.46
$1,467.76 – that’s the maximum compensation rate in DC for workers injured on the job in 2017, while the minimum rate is $366.86.
Let’s say you worked a ton of overtime, got raises or bonuses, or had two jobs in the six months before you were hurt (remember you can add income from a second job) and your average weekly wage was $2,700.00 per week – normally, you’d get 2/3 of that, or $1,800.00 but your benefits would hit the cap and you’d receive $1,467.46 per week in workers comp benefits.
And, Why Is It Important To Know What The Rate Was In Previous Years?
If you’re a high-wage earner entitled to workers’ compensation benefits and you’ve been getting underpaid (meaning the rate at which you’ve been paid is lower than the maximum rate you should have been receiving – many times because all of your earnings weren’t included in the calculation) we can go back to correct the rate and increase the compensation you receive. This would make a huge difference, especially for high-wage workers. If you are entitled to just $300 more a week for example, then that’s $1,200 more, every month, of benefits just because of this rule.
The Workers’ Comp Insurance Company Didn’t Explain Any Of These Differences To You? Call Us Today To Get The Help You Need
Give us a call at 202-393-3320 and we’ll review your case with you. Or, you can order one of our free books and guides written just for injured workers to make sure you’re getting the correct benefit rate for you and your family.