Maine Workers' Compensation Benefits

When people think of workers’ comp benefits, they probably think of cash compensation first and maybe payment for medical treatment second and maybe nothing else. Monetary compensation and medical-expense coverage are indeed the most important benefits to employees under Maine’s workers’ compensation system. Monetary compensation, in essence, helps to support an injured worker who cannot work or compensates for the loss of a body part (such as a finger) or a function (such as hearing), while medical and related expenses can range from emergency room visits to prescriptions to physical therapy.

Still, the remedial purposes of the workers’ compensation law are also supported by other kinds of benefits. In Maine, injured workers are, in some circumstances, entitled to: reinstatement to their job, with reasonable accommodations; employment rehabilitation (sometimes called vocational rehab) paid for by their employer, if they can no longer do their old job; and protection from injury-related discrimination by their employer.

No two workers or their cases are identical, and so an individual who wants to know his or her rights may require an attorney’s assessment.