Are You Entitled to Federal Workers Compensation?
If you are a federal worker you should also know that while working for the federal government, you have some rights. One of this is to receive federal workers compensation if, by any chance, you are injured while performing your work. This is one major right and those who want to claim such compensation usually go to an attorney that can help them receive what they deserve.
The most common federal workers compensation that people claim is the lost wages compensation. If you were injured while practicing your job and your injuries require a recovery period, you have the right to be paid for that period. This means that you will receive the same amount of money as if you were at your job. This type of compensation is usually known as “Periodic Roll” or “Total Temporary Disability”
Not only that you are entitled to get paid for the recovery period, but you can also receive compensation for the medical expenses. If you are ever in the position of spending money on medical expenses due to the work conditions you have, then you sure can claim them back. Just make sure you keep all the invoices or bills.
If the situation is worse and the worker was seriously injured and lost a functioning part of his or hers body, then he or she can receive a payment called schedule award.
Whatever the case is, if you end up claiming federal workers compensation you should know that the institution that decides whether your claim will be accepted or not is the Office of Workers Compensation or OWCP. In order for you to receive the compensation you are entitled to, you have to fill in some papers at the OWCP for pre-approval of payment. They will recommend the necessary treatment and they will most probably ask you to follow it under the supervision of a doctor that it’s authorized by them. More than that, an OWCP representative will assist at all your visits at this doctor in order to report how the treatment is going on. This is a safety measure that the OWCP takes in order to be sure it doesn’t pay any undeserved compensations based on false claims. However, the presence of this representative might be considered disturbing and intrusive by both the patient and the doctor.
The right to federal workers compensation is guaranteed by the “Federal Employees’ Compensation Act” (FECA), an act administered by OWCP. This institution has 12 offices that deal with receiving claims and making payments. In some cases the OWCP charges the employing agencies for the benefits it pays.
Sometimes federal workers compensation is mistaken by “continuation of pay”. Qualifying for this one does not necessarily mean that you don’t also qualify for federal workers compensation. An attorney can best analyze your case and tell you what you are or are not entitled to claim.
If you need one in order to help you with claiming your federal workers compensation go to a federal disability retirement lawyer to get more information.
