When receiving vocational rehabilitation, you are retrained or are placed into another job which you can do within your physical limitations. When the doctor indicates that you are capable of returning to employment, but cannot perform your previous work activity, you must contact Goodchild & Duffy so we can apply for your vocational rehabilitation benefits as soon as possible.

The vocational rehabilitation maintenance allowance is payable up to a maximum of $246 per week (less applicant attorney fees), based on pre-injury earnings of $369 or more per week for any injury after January 1, 1990. For injuries after January 1, 1994, there is a $16,000 cap on all rehabilitation expenses taken together, including the money you receive, rehabilitation vendor fees, tuition expenses, and attorney fees, etc. This unfortunately, puts a limit on the type and nature of rehabilitation available to you.

Unfortunately, things do not always proceed smoothly. The insurance carrier may delay or deny payments in order to hold onto its money as long as possible. The insurance carrier may also deny any one of the several facts which are necessary to entitle an injured employee to temporary disability benefits. If this is done, we, as your attorneys, have no way of compelling the insurance company to make payments until your case is set for a hearing before the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board. Since most cases end up in a disputed status at one point or another, we always try to get the earliest hearing date possible.

However, per Workers' Compensation Appeals Board rules, we must obtain all relevant medical evidence for your case prior to requesting a hearing. Therefore, it is always extremely important that you ATTEND ALL DOCTORS’ APPOINTMENTS, at all times. If some difficulty arises that will prevent you from attending a doctor's appointment, please call the doctor's office directly to reschedule the appointment at the earliest possible date. This will assist us in requesting the earliest possible hearing date. Once a hearing is scheduled, the record of evidence which is admissible, may be closed.