Employees in California enjoy the availability of different sources for worker’s compensation. Temporary Total Disability (TDD) is one such source.

When is TDD made available to an employee in California?

The employee must have been injured on the job. The injured employee has seen a primary doctor, someone in the employer’s network, and that same physician has said that the injured employee cannot return to work.

Why might any employees in that situation want to speak with a lawyer?

A worker that is getting TDD benefits receives a paycheck that is equal in size to 2/3 of that same worker’s previous weekly wages. The determination of the worker’s former income should include any housing allowance, car allowance or per diem payments. A personal injury lawyer in Bell Gardens can help to check for the inclusion of those added sources of money, in a determination of a given worker’s former income.

How long does the eligible employee get TDD payments?

The physician that is treating the disabled employee watches for evidence that the patient/employee has reached the stage of maximum medical improvement. At that point, the patient/employee cannot exhibit any level of improvement, regardless of how much longer the treatment might continue.

That means that the same patient/employee is ready to return to work, and the TDD payments will stop. Yet not every worker that has healed physically feels ready to tackle the demands that were associated with a previous position. Hence, some workers elect to delay their return. Workers that hope to enjoy that reprieve must apply for permanent partial disability benefits.

Could a worker that has reached the stage of MMI seek an alternate solution, if he or she does not feel ready to take-on all the demands that were associated with a previous job?

Yes, that particular worker could discuss the matter with his or her employer. During that discussion, the possibility that the worker’s hours might be shortened. Some employees elect to work a reduced number of hours, when they return.

Keep in mind the fact, that any employee in California must work at least 30 hours per week, in order to be eligible for health benefits. In other words, if the returning employee hopes to keep his or her health benefits, then that same worker must agree to be on-the-job for at least 30 hours each week.

Understand that the change in the number of hours worked per week might require the completion of a time sheet, which must be signed by a supervisor. Not all supervisors like being part of such an arrangement. Ideally, the recently-returned employee feels ready to switch to a full day before the supervisor complains about the arrangement, which the employer has chosen to OK.