Common Workers' Compensation Terms Defined

Before you file a claim for workers’ compensation, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the common terms you’ll come across as you complete the process. Knowing what these terms mean, and how they’re defined, can significantly help you understand the claims-filing process as a whole; it could even help improve your chances of getting your claim approved. Below, we define 10 of the most common terms and phrases you’re likely to see when filing a workers’ compensation claim in California.

Workers’ Compensation Glossary

  1. Average Daily Wage (ADW): The ADW is often used to determine wage loss benefits after a workplace injury. This is a calculation of the injured employee’s average daily earnings.
  2. Average Weekly Wage (AWW): The AWW can also be used to determine wage loss benefits. The AWW is the injured employee’s average weekly earnings over a fixed period of time.
  3. Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI): The MMI is an assessment of the injured employee’s recovery and ability to return to work. Employees who receive MMI are believed to be fully recovered from their work injury and are not expected to experience any further changes in their condition.
  4. Permanent Partial Disability (PPD): An employee who is permanently, but not completely, disabled from his/her workplace accident may be eligible for PPD.
  5. Permanent Total Disability (PTD): An employee who is permanently, and totally, disabled from his/her workplace accident may be eligible for PTD.
  6. Statewide Average Weekly Wage (SAWW): The SAWW is used to determine the minimum and maximum amount of workers’ compensation benefits available to an injured employee. The SAWW is calculated based on the average wages paid to workers in a certain jurisdiction over a set period of time.
  7. Return-to-Work Supplement Program (RTWSP): The RTWSP is a one-time supplemental payment made to an employee who suffers from a disproportionate loss of earnings after a work injury or illness.
  8. Supplemental Job Displacement Benefits (SJDB): If your date of injury occurred after 2004, you may be eligible for SJDB. These are vouchers intended to help you pay for skill enhancement and / or retraining if your injury prevents you from recovering completely and returning to work for your previous employer.
  9. Temporary Partial Disability (TPD): An employee who can work despite his/her injuries may be paid TPD for a limited amount of time. TPD benefits are only payable for as long as it takes the employee to recover enough to fully return to their former position without experiencing any loss of wages.
  10. Temporary Total Disability (TTD): An employee who is totally incapable of returning to work for a set period of time may be paid TTD. These benefits will be terminated when the temporary disability is cleared and the employee is able to return to work.

For more information about filing a workers’ compensation claim, or appealing a denial, contact our team of Santa Ana workeman's comp attorneys. Ufkes & Bright can be reached at 714.909.2609.

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