Workers’ Compensation Benefits & Rights

Feb 01 2016

At Alverson + O’Brien, we will meet with you to learn about your injury, what steps you may have already taken and how the injury has impacted your ability to work. Our job is to make sure that your rights are protected and that you receive the benefits you are entitled to under the law.

Benefits Available Under the Colorado Workers’ Compensation Act

  • Medical treatment: If you were injured on the job, you are eligible to receive all reasonable, necessary and related medical care needed to cure the injury.
  • Temporary disability benefits: If a work injury causes you to miss more than three days or three work shifts, you may be entitled to receive temporary disability benefits. Contact our law firm to learn more about these benefits, including temporary total disability (TTD) benefits and temporary partial disability (TPD) benefits.
  • Permanent partial disability: Sometimes workers sustain physical or psychological injuries that will remain with them forever, but may allow them to continue working. These employees are eligible for permanent partial disability benefits based on the percentage of the impairment.
  • Permanent total disability: Someone who is injured so severely on the job that he or she will never be able to gain sustained employment is potentially eligible for permanent total disability (PTD) benefits.
  • Disfigurement: If your work injury resulted in a scar or other form of disfigurement such as a limp, you may be entitled to receive compensation based on the severity of the disfigurement.

Disputes frequently arise over all of these types of benefits, which is why it is so important to have a knowledgeable attorney standing up for you.

Know Your Rights

A work injury must be reported to your employer in writing. Then, within seven days, your employer’s workers’ comp insurance carrier must provide you a written list of at least two different authorized treating physicians (ATPs). You may select which doctor you would like to see. If your employer doesn’t give you a list within seven days, you can select a physician of your choice. If you want to change your ATP, you can do so within 90 days of the date of injury.

If at any point you feel that your doctor’s findings are inaccurate, you may object to the findings. Contact us for assistance.

Contact Our Attorneys

Call 303-993-8882 or contact us online to arrange a free initial consultation with our Denver workers’ compensation benefits lawyers. The earlier in the process we become involved, the better.


FAQ: Does insurance cover travel expenses?

Yes. The workers’ compensation insurer will compensate you for your travel to and from all of your reasonable and necessary medical appointments. You will need to keep a mileage log and submit it to the insurer at least once per month. If you do not have a car, the insurer will provide transportation.