Common questions regarding workers' compensation:

Q: What injuries are covered by Iowa Workers' Compensation Law?
A. Generally, a health impairment resulting from employment activities is covered so long as the impairment is not a result of the normal aging process.

Q: What types of benefits are available to injured workers?
A. There are two main types of benefits - medical and disability.

Medical benefits: Iowa law provides for payment, through workers' compensation, of reasonable and necessary medical care relating to treatment of a covered injury. Typically, the employer selects the medical treater.

Disability benefits:

  • Temporary total disability: When an injury causes a worker to miss more than three days of work, temporary total disability benefits are paid beginning on the fourth day and continuing until the worker has returned to work or is capable of returning to work.
  • Temporary partial disability: These benefits are paid if the worker returns to work and, because of the injury, temporarily earns less than had been earned before the injury.
  • Healing period: When a work injury causes permanent impairment, healing period benefits are paid, generally, beginning on the first day of disability and continuing until the worker returns to work or the worker reaches a point of maximum medical improvement where no or little additional improvement is expected.
  • Permanent partial disability: These benefits are paid when a work injury results in permanent disability, depending upon the degree of permanent disability. Permanent partial disability benefits are payable on top of healing period benefits and begin when the worker returns to work or has reached maximum medical improvement.
  • Permanent total disability: If a work injury renders a worker incapable of returning to any generally available employment, the worker may be awarded permanent total disability benefits. These benefits are payable so long as the worker remains disabled.

Q: Are there time limits in regard to filing a workers' compensation claim?
A. Notice of injury: Iowa law provides that an employer must receive notice or have knowledge of a work injury within 90 days. The 90-day period begins to run when the worker knows or should know that injury was caused by work activities.
Statute of limitation: Generally speaking, a claim for workers' compensation benefits must be filed within two years of the date of injury. However, if you have been paid weekly workers' compensation benefits, then the deadline for filing a claim is three years from the date of last weekly payment. Payment of medical benefits does not extend the time for filing a claim. Also, payment of short-term disability or other similar benefits does not extend the time for filing a claim.