When is an injured worker entitled to receive vocational rehabilitation benefits?
Under the Missouri workers’ compensation law, if an employee sustains an injury of sufficient severity he or she may receive vocation rehabilitation services that are reasonably necessary to restore the employee to suitable, gainful employment, if the employer/ insurer authorizes the rehabilitation services. If the employer determines that there had been a loss of suitable gainful employment, the employer may retain the services of a rehabilitation practitioner. In other words, vocation rehabilitation is strictly voluntary on the part of the employer. The Division of Worker’s Compensation may notify the employer that the injured employee may require vocation rehabilitation.
A. Under the Missouri workers’ compensation law, if an employee sustains an injury of sufficient severity, he or she may receive vocation rehabilitation services that are reasonably necessary to restore the employee to suitable, gainful employment, if the employer/insurer authorizes the rehabilitation services. If the employer determines that there had been a loss of suitable gainful employment, the employer may retain the services of a rehabilitation practitioner. In other words, vocation rehabilitation is strictly voluntary on the part of the employer. The Division may notify the employer that the injured employee may require vocation rehabilitation. Examples of an injury of sufficient severity as determined by the treating physician are traumatic injury to the spinal cord, severe burns, serious head injury, loss of sight in one or both eyes, loss of hearing in both ears or loss in serious head injury, loss of of speech or severe mangling, crushing, amputation or nerve impairment of
Related Questions
- Is there a statute of limitation on vocational rehabilitation benefits i.e. job placement or vocational training?
- Is there a checklist for the Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC) to fully explain Option 2 benefits?
- When is an injured worker entitled to receive vocational rehabilitation benefits?
