Can You be Offered Rehabilitation as Recovery After an Injury?

There are many types of “rehabilitation” when you have been injured on the job. This is usually part of workers’ compensation damages, from physical therapy to vocational rehabilitation to help put you back to work. If you are unable to return to work because of an injury, workers’ comp could offer you vocational rehabilitation as a way to help you return in the future. Some of these rehabilitation services include on the job training, resume services, interview assistance, job search assistance, rehabilitation counseling, reasonable accommodation assistance, education payments for retraining, and more.

Responsibilities: Employees and Employers 

As an employee who is unable to return to the workplace, it is only your responsibility to make valid attempts to return to suitable employment, if permitted. In some states, you are not required, however, to participate in physical rehabilitation or vocational rehabilitation. If your state requires it, your wage loss benefits could be reduced if you do not comply with the rehabilitation requirements.

Your employer, of course, has many more responsibilities. In many states, if you have been injured in the workplace, rehabilitation services must resume within 60 days of receiving the on-the-job injury. Many employers find themselves required to pay for items like tuition, living expenses, child care expenses, and anything else that can help an employee after they have been unrightfully injured in the workplace. In many of these cases, you the employee will be set up with somebody who is qualified to give you rehabilitation assistance for your needs, such as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC) or a Certified Disability Management Specialist (CDMS).

If you have been injured in the workplace due to negligence or bad conditions (or a variety of other reasons), it is vital to speak to an attorney who understands what rights you have. Your employer will usually be responsible for taking care of many of the aspects mentioned. Call us for more information on the role we can play in your claim.