Temporary Total Disability

Many people employed in Maryland are covered by the Workers' Compensation Act. When a covered employee is injured in the course of their employment, they may be eligible for medical benefits as well as partial wage-replacement payments. Temporary total disability payments are a type of wage-replacement benefit for injured employees who cannot work at all. If you have suffered a job-related injury that is keeping you from returning to work, a Prince George's County workers' compensation lawyer can advise you of the benefits that may be available. At Foran & Foran, P.A., we can assist in determining whether you may qualify for temporary total disability payments and helping you pursue a workers' compensation claim.

Under the Maryland Workers' Compensation Act, covered employees who suffer a work-related injury may be entitled to benefits, including partial wage compensation. There are four types of disability payments under workers' compensation, which are meant to replace a percentage of the employee's lost wages: temporary total disability benefits, temporary partial disability benefits, permanent total disability benefits, and permanent partial disability benefits. Depending on the nature of their injury, a covered employee may receive one or more of these benefits at some point following an injury.

Temporary total disability (TTD) benefits may be paid to a worker when their job-related injury has resulted in a disability that prevents them from returning to work in any capacity. While on temporary total disability, an employee may be paid up to two-thirds of their average weekly wage for as long as they are temporarily disabled. That amount is subject to a cap, however, which is adjusted yearly based on the statewide average wage.

In order to receive temporary total disability benefits, a covered employee must have suffered a compensable injury that renders them completely disabled for all work purposes. In a typical situation, the employee's treating physician will find that the employee is unable to perform any of their job duties and order them to take medical leave. If the disability period is fourteen days or less, the employee will not receive TTD compensation for the first three days from the date of disability. However, the employee may be entitled to other workers' compensation benefits during that time, such as payment for hospital and medical services. Following the three day waiting period, the employee will be paid TTD compensation for the remaining days. When the period of temporary disability is longer than fourteen days, the employee will be compensated for the entire period of temporary total disability, including the first three days.

Temporary total disability benefits cease once the employee has reached maximum medical improvement. Maximum medical improvement is the point at which no further improvement in the employee's condition is expected. In general, maximum medical improvement may be determined by the employee's treating physician and/or an independent doctor hired by the insurer to evaluate the employee. When maximum medical improvement is reached and the employee is still unable to work due to their injury, the employee may qualify for permanent disability benefits. Depending on the injury, the employee may be entitled to benefits for either a permanent partial disability or permanent total disability. A workers' compensation attorney can advise you of the steps following the temporary total disability period.

At Foran & Foran, P.A., we understand that coping with a total disability, whether temporarily or permanently, is a difficult adjustment for many people. Our hardworking attorneys can pursue workers' compensation benefits on behalf of our clients so that they can focus on their recovery. We represent people in workers' compensation cases in Prince George's County and Montgomery County, including Greenbelt, Laurel and South Laurel, Bowie, Chillum, Clinton, District Heights, and Beltsville. Request a free consultation with one of our Prince George's County injury attorneys by calling our office at (301) 441-2022 or contacting us online.