Criteria for obtaining workers' compensation benefits; employee's injury must be a product of his employment and must have occurred while fulfilling the functions of his job or benefitting the interests of the employer.

Attending Physician

The primary medical caregiver of an injured employee.

Award

Essentially, a determination that an injured employee is entitled to workers' compensation benefits; compensability for the employee's injury has been established and the employee is granted benefits consistent with the particular state's statute.

Benefit

Money or medical care conferred upon an employee who has been injured on the job. Cash benefits are based on the employee's disability and a percentage of the employee's weekly wages. Medical benefits consist of the payment of the employee's medical expenses that are reasonably necessary for the treatment of his injury. Death benefits are funds paid to the dependents of an employee who was fatally injured.

Claim

A written notification by the employee of his on-the-job injury and a request for workers' compensation benefits.

Dependents

Usually consists of an injured employee's children who are under the age of 18 and the injured employee's spouse.

Disability

The state of being in which an individual is unable to earn a living as a result of an injury; inability to perform the tasks called for in the employee's work. An employee's disability can be partial or total and temporary or permanent.

Employee

A person in the employ of another, as distinguished from an independent contractor. An individual who works under the direction and control of an employer.

Independent Contractor

A person who contracts to do work for another, and who retains the ability to direct and control how the work is performed.

Independent Medical Examination (IME)

A medical examination conducted by an independent physician that assesses the employee's current state of impairment, future prognosis, treatment options, and causation for the impairment.

Injury

Damage or functional impairment to the body that affects the employee's ability to perform his job.

Occupational Disease

An illness caused by conditions at the employee's place of employment that are peculiar to such employment; a disease that arises out of or in the course of employment and to which the employee would not normally be exposed outside of his employment.

Workers' Compensation

A system prescribed by law through state and federal Workers' Compensation Acts that provides an injured employee or his dependents with benefits outlined by the respective Acts. The injured employee's compensation extends to a cash benefit based on his wages as well as payment of his medical expenses, while the dependents' compensation consists solely of cash benefits.

Workers' Compensation Insurance

Policy of insurance taken out by an employer to provide workers' compensation coverage in the event that an employee is injured on the job. Under such a policy, the insurance carrier pays the benefits prescribed by law to the employee.

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