Workers Compensation Terms and Definitions

Workers' Compensation Appeals Board (WCAB) The judicial unit that formally resolves workers' compensation disputes. Vocational Rehabilitation This benefit assists qualified injured workers in returning to work. Wage Loss Temporary disability benefits that may be paid when an employee returns to work at less than full earnings. Also known as Temporary Partial Disability (TPD). Uninsured Employers Fund (UEF) If your employer is illegally uninsured, this fund may provide benefits to you. Consultative Rating A rating of permanent disability provided by the DWC Disability Evaluation Unit when a claim is litigated or if the injured worker has an attorney. See Permanent Disability Rating. Light Duty Temporary change in job assignment to accommodate work restrictions while you are healing. May or may not pay at the same rate as your normal work assignment. Lost wages may be partially made up by Temporary Partial Disability (TPD) payments. Temporary Patial Disability (TPD) A wage replacement benefit that may be paid when you return to work but at less than full earnings. Sometimes referred to as Wage Loss. Commutation An order by a Workers' Compensation Administrative Law Judge for a lump sum payment of part or all of your permanent disability award. Payment can be made to either the injured worker or the injured worker's attorney. Settlement A workers' compensation cases may be settled in one of two ways, by a Compromise and Release (C&R) or by a Stipulation with Request for Award (Stip). A C&R usually settles all outstanding issues in a claim for a single lump sum payment. A Stipulation may leave certain issues open, such as future medical treatment and/or vocational rehabilition. Subpoena A document that requires a witness to appear at a hearing. There must be an Application for Adjudication on file for a subpoena to be valid.

Contact our Massachusetts Workers Compensation Lawyers today and receive a free case review!

	Did You Know?
	OSHA has developed final "Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence OSHA has developed final "Guidelines for Preventing Workplace Violence for Health Care and Social Service Workers" and draft guidelines for night retail establishments. The intent of the guidelines is to educate employers on finding ways to provide a more secure work environment. Consequently, OSHA hopes that employers will voluntarily implement workplace violence protection programs. Workplace violence has emerged as an important safety issue in today's workplaces. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) fatality data, assaults and violent acts caused 20 percent of the fatal occupational injuries in the United States in 1994.