The 4 Iowa Workers Compensation Benefits You May Be Eligible For.

1. Medical Benefits: Employers are required to pay for all reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to a work related injury. This includes the actual cost of the medical treatment as well as reimbursing the worker for travel related costs that get the worker to and from that treatment. It's also important to know that a worker may be entitled to payments for wages that he or she loses while getting treated and missing work as a results.

2. Temporary disability benefits: If you miss work because of a work related injury you would be entitles to payment of some amount for the wages you lose. These benefits kick in after the third day you miss work and end once you return. If you have not made a 100% full recovery, your treating doctor may deem you to be at "maximal medical improvement." Simply stated this means that this is as good as you are going to get. An example might be an injury that puts a worker in a wheel chair. If the worker cannot run or walk after and is confined to a wheel chair this is as good as they are going to get. While this sounds severe it is just for illustration purposes.

3. Permanent disability benefits. Should you suffer a work related injury that results in permanent disability like the example above, and are no longer able to perform certain job duties you would be entitled to permanent disability benefits in some amount. How those benefits are calculated is determined on a case by case basis. If you or someone you know has suffered a severe work related injury definitely speak to an attorney.

The state of Iowa has already put in place a rate table of values for certain body locations. These locations are called "scheduled members." The table includes data on how long you would be entitles to receive benefits for if you lost full function of that member after a work related injury. For instance permanent disfigurement of the face would be 150 weeks.

4. Death Benefits. This may seem morbid but needs to be covered. Work related injuries that result in death would entitle the surviving souse and children to some amount of benefits paid weekly and in addition some amount of benefits to help cover funeral expenses. Hopefully in addition to workers' compensation you have enrolled in your company's life insurance policy and also have a separate policy in addition to that. As a general rule you want to be insured for 10 times the amount of your yearly income.