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Temporary Total Disability (TTD)
Temporary Total Disability is for employees who are totally disabled from their jobs for a temporary period following the injury. For example, a construction worker would be entitled to TTD benefits if he sustained a broken leg and is unable to return to work until the cast is removed and his doctor releases him back to work.
TTD benefits must also be paid when an employee has been released to light-duty work but the employer has no light-duty work available. TTD benefits are paid at two-thirds of your gross average weekly wage (AWW), subject to minimum and maximum limits.
Determining average weekly wage is not always straightforward. The following principles will generally apply:
- AWW is based on your gross (pre-tax) wages during the 52 weeks before the date of your injury or exposure.
- If you had more than one job at the time of injury, the AWW may be based on the combined income from all jobs - IF the other jobs were known to the employer who will be paying the benefits.
- If you were employed for fewer than 52 weeks, the AWW is calculated using the number of weeks you actually worked for that employer. If you had worked for the employer for only a short time or on a casual basis, the Workers' Compensation Commission may consider what another person in the job with the same employer would have earned during the prior year.
- Overtime pay is generally not included in the AWW calculation unless the overtime was mandatory and routinely worked.
The amount of the average weekly wage and the duration and amount of TTD benefits you are entitled to receive are frequently a source of dispute in workers' compensation claims.
If you or a member of your family has been injured in a work-related accident, we can help. Contact the experienced workers' compensation attorneys at Drake & Collopy, P.C. online or call us at 312.345.0220, or toll free at 1.888.372.5355, for more information or to schedule a free consultation.
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