Legal Question in Workers Comp in California
Retraining
I have been off work, workers comp. and have had carpal tunnel surgery on both hands. I still suffer with some problems and am wondering what the law is for retraining if I can not return to my regular line of work as a correctional officer. Does the doctor have to say that I am not able to return to that line of work and how hard is it to be retrained in order for me to stay with the state?
2 Answers from Attorneys
Re: Retraining
You are eligible for vocational rehabilitation benefits (maximum of $16,000) when your primary treating physician has determined you to be a Qualified Injured Worker.
Discuss this with your attorney or physician.
Re: Retraining
You must be a qualified injured worker to receive vocational rehabilitation benefits, which means that due to your injury you cannot return to your usual and customary job. This also implies that the employer is not going to provide any work modification to accommodate you. If QIW you will be assigned a rehabilitation professional to design a retraining program to use your current skill set.