An injury that you suffer on the job will have a ripple effect. It will impact your co-workers, because it will disrupt their day and because they have to do their work without you. It will affect the company; they may need to arrange for accommodations so that you can keep working or a temporary replacement if you need time off to heal.
Your injury will also affect your family members. Getting workers’ compensation benefits can be important after an injury on the job not only to protect yourself but also your beloved family members who depend on you. How might your injury impact their lives?
Losing your income might cause financial hardship
If you are the primary wage-earner for your family, it may be difficult for your household to adjust to losing your income, even temporarily. The chances are good that you will not have enough in savings to completely cover all of your household expenses after an injury, especially if you will be out of work for several weeks or a couple of months.
Most households in the United States have some savings, but the median balance of those accounts was just $3,500. Although there were a tiny number of households with accounts that had six figures or more in them, most households have less than $5,000 set aside. That might not cover your mortgage, let alone your groceries, while you are off of work.
Everyone else may have to absorb your household responsibilities
If you suffer a hernia on the job, you won’t be able to carry your toddler around at home in the evening so that your spouse can cook dinner and do homework with the older kids. If you break your leg, you won’t be out doing lawn maintenance.
Adults usually contribute hours of unpaid labor to their households every week, and it can be a burden on the family to have to redistribute that work to others or hire professionals to take on those responsibilities. Thankfully, a workers’ compensation claim can help by connecting you with disability benefits that replace some of your income and fully cover your medical care.
Looking at the impact of a work injury can motivate you to seek the benefits you and your family truly need.