The vast majority of New Mexico employers must carry workers’ compensation insurance. State law governs the processing of claims and the types of benefits available to injured workers. If you have been hurt on the job or have developed an occupational disease directly related to your employment, you may be entitled to the following benefits:
- Medical Expense Benefits : These benefits reimburse you for any health care costs related to your work injury. In most cases, these benefits are paid directly to your health care providers.
- Temporary Total Disability Benefits. : Temporary total disability benefits are available for work-related injuries involving more than seven days of lost work time. Occasionally, a recovering worker is capable of being on the job part-time. In these cases, workers may be eligible for partial temporary disability benefits, or PTD. Click here to learn more about Temporary Total Disability.
- Permanent Total Disability Benefits : For the permanent and total loss of use of both arms, hands, legs, feet, eyes or any combination of two; or for serious brain injuries, employees are eligible to apply for permanent total disability benefits.
- Permanent Partial Disability Benefits : If you have suffered a work-related injury that has left you partially disabled for the indefinite future, you may have a claim for permanent partial disability benefits. Common injures for this class of benefits include back injuries, hearing loss, knee injuries, carpal tunnel syndrome, and nerve damage. Click here to learn more about Permanent Partial Disability.
- Temporary Partial Disability Benefits : These benefits compensate workers for the value of lost earning potential. If your injury prevents you from doing some but not all types of work, you may be entitled to temporary partial disability benefits.
Workers’ compensation law is extremely complex. The foregoing is far from a comprehensive discussion of workers’ compensation benefits, and the unique facts and circumstances of your situation will impact whether and how much you may receive in benefits. For these reasons, it is always advisable to speak with an experienced New Mexico workers’ compensation lawyer about your claim.