Workers’ compensation helps protect employees in Missouri from injury-related financial instability, often through providing supplemental earnings benefits. For those who have been injured on the job, workers’ comp can help provide financial support while the employee recovers and rejoins the workforce. However, just as there are a myriad of possible workplace injuries, workmans’ compensation must also be flexible to meet the financial needs of employees. Supplemental earnings are one way that workers’ compensation helps protect the interests of employees in Missouri.
Often referred to as temporary partial disability (TPD), supplemental earnings support workers who have been injured in the workplace and are temporarily unable to return to the workforce. Lost wages can quickly wreak financial havoc on an individual’s life and can be almost as damaging as expensive medical bills. Without the means to support themselves or their families financially, lost wages can quickly become a financial catastrophe. Supplemental earnings may help mitigate this issue by providing supplemental wages while the injured worker recovers.
An experienced Missouri workers’ compensation lawyer from Steelman Gaunt Crowley can provide more detailed information on supplemental earnings benefits in Missouri. Schedule a free consultation with a lawyer today by calling the office at (573) 341-8336.
What Are Supplemental Earnings Benefits?
Supplemental earnings in Missouri are another way to refer to temporary partial disability (TPD) pay from a workers’ comp claim. While there may be some confusion, as other states have separate programs for supplemental earnings benefits, this is not the case in Missouri. Temporary partial disability is one of five types of benefits provided by Missouri workers’ compensation, specifically covering injured workers who are not fully or permanently incapacitated, but can only return to work at a reduced capacity.
When Are Supplemental Earnings Available?
Temporary partial disability is available to injured workers who can return to the workforce, but only in a reduced capacity. For example, if an injured worker can only sustain four hours of work in a day instead of eight due to injury, supplemental earnings may provide a percentage of their missed wages to help support them as they recover. Supplemental earnings may only be available if the individual in question was injured as a direct result of their work or work-related hazards. According to R.S. Mo. § 287.120, certain actions, such as using restricted substances while at work, may reduce or forfeit an employee’s rights to compensation.
Missouri Workers’ Compensation Benefits
However, supplemental earnings are not the only type of disability benefits provided by Missouri workers’ compensation. Missouri offers medical benefits, temporary partial disability (TPD), temporary total disability (TTD), permanent partial disability (PPD, and permanent total disability (PTD). Each of these benefits, as set in place by the Missouri Department of Labor, applies to a specific type of injury that restricts the individual’s capacity to return to work. They are designed to help accommodate each of these types of injury and provide supplemental wages to support what the individual is unable to earn for themselves.
Workers’ compensation insurance can be complex, but a skilled workers’ compensation attorney from Steelman Gaunt Crowley can provide more detailed information and assist with claims.
Medical Benefits
While most forms of workers’ compensation are wage replacement, medical benefits are different. Medical benefits in Missouri are direct reimbursements for the costs of medical bills and other expenses related to the injury itself. These benefits may include the costs of treatment by a physician, emergency medical services, and even surgery costs if applicable. Similar to insurance for personal injury and property damage, medical benefits pay out directly for the cost of injury and medical services. This form of compensation is not a form of supplemental earnings, but it may be offered alongside supplemental earnings depending on the injury.
Temporary Partial Disability
Temporary partial disability (TPD), also called supplemental earnings benefits in some areas, is compensation for lost wages. However, TPD in particular is compensation for partial lost wages, when the employee can return to work, but at a reduced capacity. The capacity at which the employee is able to return to work may govern the amount of supplemental earnings awarded for the injury.
Temporary Total Disability
Similar to temporary partial disability, temporary total disability payments support those who have been injured to the extent that they cannot return to work until they have fully recovered. This type of workers’ comp generally applies to more severe injuries, such as those requiring surgery and long periods of bed rest. This may also apply to certain work-related illnesses or other issues. TTD provides a greater sum than TPD as it is generally intended to support the injured employee’s full recovery while they are unable to provide for themselves financially.
Permanent Partial Disability
For more severe accidents, injured workers may find they have permanently reduced capacity. Some illnesses can impact an employee’s energy, capacity, and workplace functioning patterns. Additionally, some injuries can have permanent side effects or consequences that may leave an employee unable to return to work in the same capacity as before. In these cases, permanent partial disability (PPD) can provide supplemental earnings for the injured employee to support and compensate for their lost earning capacity.
Permanent Total Disability
In the most extreme of circumstances, an individual may not be able to return to work at all. Injuries such as paralysis, some traumatic brain injuries, blindness, or lost limbs and amputations could leave an injured worker permanently unable to reenter the workforce. In these cases, permanent total disability pay may compensate for lost earning capacity with supplemental earnings. The pay provided may depend on the injury itself. A workers’ compensation lawyer in Missouri may be able to provide more detailed information on disability benefits and supplemental earnings.
FAQ
Q: What are supplemental earnings (or supplemental income) benefits?
Supplemental earnings benefits are a type of workers’‑compensation benefit that helps injured workers when, after a work‑related injury, they cannot earn as much as they did before — even if they return to work in some capacity. Rather than covering full wages, these benefits provide a portion of the difference between pre‑injury earnings and what the worker can earn after the injury.
Q: When do supplemental earnings benefits apply?
They typically apply when:
- The injury results in a permanent impairment or lasting disability,
- The worker either cannot return to the same job or returns but earns less than a certain percentage (often significantly less) of their pre‑injury pay because of the injury, and
- The reduced earnings are directly related to the injury (i.e., the injury limits the worker’s ability to earn as before).
Q: How are supplemental earnings benefits calculated (in general)?
The calculation is usually based on:
- Your earnings before injury (your average weekly/monthly wage prior to being hurt)
- Your post‑injury earnings (what you earn after returning to work, or what you can reasonably earn given limitations)
The benefit payment is a percentage (for example, a fraction of the difference between pre‑injury and post‑injury pay), intended to help replace some—but not all—of your lost earning capacity.
Q: What kinds of injuries or situations often trigger eligibility for these benefits?
Situations that often qualify include:
- Permanent partial disability (you can work, but with limited capacity or accommodations)
- Injuries that limit physical abilities so returning to former job or pay level is impossible
- Reduced capacity to perform prior duties, leading to lower wages in a new or modified job
Q: Do all states have supplemental earnings benefits under workers’ comp?
No — the availability and rules for supplemental earnings (or equivalent “income replacement” benefits) vary by state. What’s covered, how benefits are calculated, and what counts as eligible impairment can differ depending on your state’s workers’‑compensation laws.
Q: How does this relate to regular workers’ compensation benefits like medical care or temporary disability?
Supplemental earnings benefits are generally separate from other typical workers’‑comp benefits. For example, after medical coverage and temporary disability benefits end, supplemental earnings benefits may kick in — if you still cannot return to your prior earning capacity.
Common workers’‑comp benefit types (like temporary total disability, temporary partial disability, permanent partial/total disability) cover wage‑loss or impairment differently; supplemental earnings benefits fill gaps when wages are permanently or semi‑permanently reduced.
Contact a Missouri Workers’ Compensation Attorney Today
Supplemental earnings benefits are often key to an injured employee’s peace of mind when recovering from a workplace accident. Workmans’ comp can help provide for these employees and give them the time and financial support they need to make a full recovery and return to supporting themselves and their families. However, workers’ compensation can often be complex and challenging, and some employers may resort to unethical practices to prevent filing a workers’ compensation claim. These legal complications and frustrations can be difficult to overcome while recovering from an injury. However, a skilled Missouri workers’ compensation attorney from Steelman Gaunt Crowley can help advocate for your rights to supplemental earnings and help secure the financial support you need to recover well. Call the office today at (573) 341-8336 and schedule a free initial consultation with an attorney to discuss your options.
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