There’s no specific time period where workers’ compensation benefits necessarily expire, meaning that an injured worker can be off work for as long as the doctor keeps them off work, and benefits can continue.
However, in most cases, I would say that benefits—or more specifically, lost wages benefits—continue for about six months to even up to two years, depending on how severe the injury is. After that, it goes to what’s called a functional percentage of disability schedule, where there is a set number of actual weeks that are paid out in permanent partial disability. The injured worker is informed how many weeks they will receive those payments, and then ultimately, those benefits will end.
In another instance—which I wouldn’t say is rare, but is less common—an injured worker is deemed permanently and totally disabled. In that situation, benefits would continue for life.
