Being hurt on the job can completely turn your life upside down, bringing pain, medical bills and serious worry about your income. If you suffered an injury or illness while working in Iowa, help is available, and you do not have to face this challenge alone.
The state enacted workers’ compensation laws to protect you and your family during these anxious times. Benefits help cover necessary medical costs and replace the wages you lose while you are healing.
However, the system can feel confusing, especially when you are trying to recover. It is essential to know how the Iowa Workers’ Compensation Act protects you.
Does workers’ comp only cover accidents?
No, workers’ compensation in Iowa covers more than just accidents. While an unexpected fall or immediate injury is covered, the law also protects eligible workers who develop an injury or illness over time.
Iowa broadly defines an “injury” covered by workers’ compensation as any health impairment that arises out of and in the course of employment. To qualify for benefits, you must demonstrate that this impairment—whether a sudden accident, cumulative trauma or occupational illness—has a direct causal connection to your specific job duties.
Covered injuries include:
- Traumatic injuries: Broken bones, lacerations, burns, or concussions from a slip and fall or being struck by an object
- Repetitive stress injuries: Conditions that develop over months or years from repeating certain motions, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis or chronic back pain from heavy lifting
- Occupational illnesses: Diseases caused by prolonged exposure to harmful substances or conditions at work, including respiratory issues, chemical poisoning or work-related hearing loss
- Aggravated pre-existing conditions: An injury where your job duties made an old or existing medical issue much worse.
Even if you had a previous injury, workers’ compensation may apply if your job activities made that condition worse. You have a right to pursue benefits, even if your injury seems minor right now.
Understanding workers’ comp benefits
When your claim is accepted, you will receive two main types of benefits. First, the insurance company pays for reasonable medical care necessary to treat your work injury, including hospitalization, doctor visits, physical therapy, prescription drugs and even essential travel expenses.
Second, you may receive payments for lost wages, which are known as disability benefits. These payments help replace your income while you are unable to work. Common types of wage benefits include:
- Temporary disability: Payments you receive while recovering from your injury and not working
- Permanent partial disability: Compensation if your injury causes a permanent limitation, but you can still work in some capacity
- Permanent total disability: Payments if your injury leaves you permanently unable to work in any gainful employment
Generally, these amounts are 80% of your average weekly spendable earnings, up to a state maximum. However, temporary partial disability benefits are calculated as two-thirds of the difference between your pre-injury and post-injury gross weekly earnings.
A skilled workers’ compensation attorney can help answer all of your questions to ensure you receive the maximum benefits the law allows for your situation.
Insurer tactics that can hurt your claim
After a work injury, the last thing you want is more anxiety, but dealing with the insurance company can feel like another battle. Remember that the insurer’s primary goal is to save money, not to maximize your benefits. You need someone on your side who understands these challenges.
Insurance adjusters often use tactics that can reduce compensation. They do this by:
- Claiming your injury is not work-related but rather a pre-existing condition
- Arguing that you missed a filing deadline or failed to report the injury properly
- Asking you to give a recorded statement that they can later use against your claim
- Delaying approval for necessary medical care, hoping you will give up or pay for it yourself
If your claim is delayed or denied, you can appeal the decision, but you must act quickly to meet filing deadlines.
Protecting your claim: Key steps after an injury
In Iowa, you must notify your employer as soon as possible about the injury. Legally, you have 90 days from the date you knew or reasonably should have known you had a work-related injury. In general, you have two years from the date of injury to file a formal petition for benefits with the Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner.
Always report your injury to a manager or supervisor right away. Then, you need to seek prompt medical treatment and clearly tell the doctor the injury is work-related.
Be sure to cooperate with and follow all reasonable and necessary treatment instructions given by the doctor your employer chooses, as the employer has the right to direct your medical care under Iowa law. If you disagree with the treatment, you should consult an attorney immediately.
Here are the crucial steps you must follow:
- Tell your employer exactly how the injury happened and where it occurred
- Keep copies of all medical bills, prescription receipts and work restriction forms
- Document every conversation you have with your employer or the insurance company
If your claim is delayed or denied by the insurer, you must take formal legal action by filing an “Original Notice and Petition” with the Iowa Workers’ Compensation Commissioner, and you must act quickly to meet the two-year statute of limitations.
Proving a claim, especially during the complicated contested case proceeding (litigation) while injured, can feel overwhelming. Having experienced legal representation is essential. Your attorney’s mission is to ensure that Iowa’s workers’ compensation system works for you as intended.