Workers’ Compensation Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits for Injured Workers in Delaware

Getting injured on the job can be frustrating and painful. If you have questions about your rights or if you become involved in a dispute over your workers’ compensation benefits, at the law firm of Silverman, McDonald & Friedman, we are here to represent your interests when you have been injured in the workplace. Contact our workers’ compensation lawyers in Newark, Wilmington or Seaford to find out more about our services.

Sometimes when a worker who has been injured in a workplace accident has reached MMI (maximum medical improvement), they find that they now have a disability that prevents them from being able to do their old job. This can also occur in workers who have suffered from an occupational disease, but they are no longer fit for the work they used to do. These workers are usually capable of doing some other type of work, and this means that they must switch careers. When this happens, Delaware workers’ compensation benefits may cover vocational rehabilitation services, which are overseen and managed by the Division of Vocational Rehabilitation (DVR) of the Delaware Department of Labor.

Before qualifying for vocational rehabilitation services, you may have to go through a vocational assessment and a labor market survey with a counselor who will review your existing job skills and aptitudes with a view toward maximizing your earning capacity within a reasonable amount of time. If vocational rehabilitation training makes sense in your situation, training may last up to 24 months.

Aside from vocational training, DVR services include:

• Career counseling and guidance
• Referral services
• Job placement services
• Interpreter services
• Supported employment services

While you will receive counseling and guidance from the DVR, you will be able to select an employment goal for your new career that fits with your capabilities and aptitude., and you can work with the process as long as it takes for you to find gainful employment.

If you have been out of work due to a workplace injury and your doctor says that you are not going to be able to go back to doing the same type of work you did when you were injured, then vocational rehabilitation might be just what you need to get back into the workforce.

An experienced Delaware workers’ compensation attorney from Silverman, McDonald & Friedman can discuss your options with you when you are facing any kind of dispute about your claim. Please call us at 302-314-5533 or fill out our quick contact form to schedule a free consultation with a workers’ compensation lawyer in Newark, Seaford or Wilmington. We are here to help you.