| Cessation of Social Security Disability Benefits Based on Lack of Disability |
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| Social security disability benefits are paid only so long as the individual remains disabled. The Social Security Administration (SSA) will cease paying benefits if the individual can engage in substantial gainful activity. The Social Security Disability Reform Act of 1984 established conditions for the cessation of disability benefits based on a lack of disability, which include: More... |
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| Determining "Dependency" for Workers' Compensation Death Benefits |
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| The issue of "dependency," with respect to the receipt of workers' compensation death benefits, is generally determined either as of the date of the worker's death or the date of the accident that caused his death. Those individuals who are, therefore, "dependents" on the requisite date will be eligible to receive death benefits in an amount commensurate with the measure of dependency on the worker, i.e. total or partial dependency. More... |
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| Medical Benefits |
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| A key feature of the workers' compensation system is that it provides medical benefits for the injured worker. The medical benefits provided to eligible employees include those for medical services, medicine, and medical equipment or accouterments such as hearing aids and other medical devices. In addition to these benefits, the cost of travel in order to obtain the necessary medical care is reimbursable. In most jurisdictions, the receipt of such benefits is not limited to a specified time frame or capped at a specified amount. Although the employer is responsible for payment of the injured worker's medical and hospital benefits, it is the employee who generally chooses his medical provider. However, some states mandate that the employee choose from an authorized panel of providers or even that it is the employer's prerogative to choose a physician for the employee. More... |
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| Injury by Exposure and "Arising Out of the Employment" |
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| Workers' compensation for injuries resulting from exposure to the elements is not forestalled merely because a natural event was at the root of the injuries. Exposure injuries, such as heatstroke, freezing, frostbite, and pneumonia, may be compensable if the nature of the employee's work increased the level of exposure over that of other members of the public. Some jurisdictions allow compensation if the risk of exposure to the employee was caused by his employment. In other words, regardless of whether the general public would or would not suffer the same exposure, it was the employee's work that precipitated or caused the exposure. More... |
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| Acts Outside Employee's Regular Duties That Benefit Others |
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| When an employee acts to benefit his employer, he is considered to be within the course of his employment as long as such actions were undertaken in good faith. It is immaterial whether the employee's own regular work assignments were furthered by his actions; it is merely whether the employer's interests were promoted. As a corollary to this rule, it is also the case that if an employee aids a co-worker with the co-worker's job duties, his good faith actions in doing so are also within the course of his employment. Compensation has even been awarded to an employee who was injured while helping a co-worker after the employee's regular workday had ended. The reasoning behind the allowance of compensation in instances such as this is that it is contrary to the employer's best interests to inhibit the helpful nature of employees. Thus, helping a fellow employee is advancing the employer's interests, albeit indirectly. More... |
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