What Are the Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Colorado?

Work injuries can disrupt every aspect of your life—your health, income, and ability to provide for your family. Fortunately, Colorado’s workers’ compensation system provides benefits to employees who suffer workplace injuries or illnesses. These workers’ compensation benefits cover medical care, lost wages, and other essential financial support while you recover.

If you’ve been injured at work in Colorado, knowing what benefits are available can make a significant difference in your recovery. Here’s what you need to know about workers’ compensation benefits in Colorado, how they work, and what steps to take if you’re facing a dispute. A key part of these benefits is medical treatment, which provides the care needed for your recovery.

Medical Benefits: What’s Covered?

In Colorado, workers’ compensation benefits cover all reasonable and necessary medical care for your work-related injury, including:

• Emergency medical care
• Doctor appointments and follow-up care
• Prescription medications
• Physical therapy and rehabilitation
• Surgery and hospitalization
• Medical devices, such as crutches or prosthetics

Can You Choose Your Own Doctor?

Under Colorado workers’ compensation laws, your employer must provide you with a designated provider list of at least four doctors for your medical treatment. In order for your treatment to be covered by the workers’ comp insurance carrier, you must select a doctor from this list. That provider will oversee your care for your workers’ compensation claim. If you decide to treat with a doctor that is not on the list, you may have to pay out of pocket for your medical treatment.

If you’re not satisfied with your initial choice, you can switch to another doctor from the list within 90 days of your injury. Beyond that, you may request a change of physician by submitting a Request for Change of Physician (WC 197) form. However, the workers’ comp insurance company has the authority to approve or deny this request. If your request is denied, you can escalate the matter by filing an Application for Hearing with the Office of Administrative Courts (OAC).

Additionally, your treating doctor may refer you to other medical professionals if your recovery needs specialized care.

Temporary Disability Benefits: Wage Replacement If You Can’t Work

If your injury prevents you from working, temporary disability benefits help replace a portion of your lost wages. There are two types:

• Temporary Total Disability (TTD): If you are completely unable to work, TTD benefits cover two-thirds of your average weekly wage every two weeks, up to the state maximum. Payments continue until you return to work or reach maximum medical improvement (MMI).
• Temporary Partial Disability (TPD): If you can work with restrictions but earn less than before, temporary partial disability benefits cover two-thirds of the difference between your wage before the injury and your wage while you are on work restrictions. These payments continue until you are released to full duty or reach maximum medical improvement (MMI).

Workers’ compensation wage replacement benefits do not begin until you miss more than three workdays. If your injury keeps you out for more than two weeks, you may receive compensation for those first three days.

Permanent Disability Benefits: Compensation for Long-Term Impairments

If your workplace injury results in a permanent impairment, you may be eligible for permanent disability benefits.

• Permanent Partial Disability (PPD): If you can work but have lasting limitations, you may receive compensation based on the severity of your impairment.
• Permanent Total Disability (PTD): If your injury prevents you from working in any capacity, permanent total disability benefits may provide lifetime wage replacement at the same rate as TTD benefits.

A doctor will assess your condition and assign an impairment rating, which determines your workers’ comp benefits. If you disagree with this rating, you may request an independent medical examination (IME) through the Division of Workers’ Compensation.

Disfigurement and Scarring

If you have a scar or other disfigurement from a work injury in Colorado, you may be able to get extra compensation This is called a disfigurement award. It’s meant to compensate you if your appearance has changed because of the injury—like from a burn, surgery, or a bad cut.

The amount you receive depends on where the scar is, how big or noticeable it is, and how it affects your life. Colorado uses the “bathing suit rule” to determine if you can get compensated for a disfigurement, meaning that you can only be compensated for a scar if it’s in an area that would be noticeable if you were wearing a bathing suit. A judge will look at your injury and decide how much you should be awarded.

Reimbursement for Mileage and Parking

If you travel for medical appointments, prescription pickups, or to obtain necessary medical supplies related to your workers’ comp claim, you may be eligible for mileage and parking reimbursement. To receive reimbursement, you must submit your request within 120 days of travel. The workers’ comp insurance company is required to process and pay the reimbursement within 30 days.

If your request is denied, the insurance company must provide written notice explaining the reason for the denial. Keeping accurate records of your travel expenses can help avoid delays in receiving workers’ compensation benefits.

Death Benefits: Support for Surviving Family Members

When a workplace accident results in death, workers’ compensation benefits provide financial support to the worker’s dependents. Death benefits include weekly payments based on the worker’s earnings, with the total amount depending on the number of eligible beneficiaries. In addition, workers’ compensation insurance covers funeral and burial expenses up to the state limit.

Common Challenges in Workers’ Compensation Claims

While workers’ compensation benefits exist to support injured employees, many workers face challenges when filing a workers’ compensation claim:

• Claim Denials: The insurance company may argue that your injury is not work-related.
• Delayed Payments: Some insurers stall benefit payments or fail to approve necessary medical care.
• Disputes Over Permanent Disability Ratings: If you disagree with the impairment rating assigned by a doctor, you may need to challenge it.
• Pressure to Return to Work Too Soon: Some injured workers feel forced to return before they’re fully healed.

If you encounter any of these challenges, consulting a Colorado workers’ compensation lawyer can help you pursue the benefits you qualify for under Colorado law.

Take Control of Your Workers’ Comp Claim

A workplace injury can leave you struggling with medical bills, lost wages, and uncertainty about your future. The workers’ compensation system exists to support you, but accessing the benefits available to you isn’t always straightforward—especially when the workers’ comp insurance company denies, delays, or undervalues claims.

At Heuser & Heuser, LLP, our workman’s comp lawyers know how overwhelming this process can feel. For over 35 years, we’ve helped Colorado Springs workers secure the financial compensation and medical benefits they need to move forward. If your claim is being challenged, a workers’ comp attorney can stand by your side and fight for your rights.

Call us at (719) 520-9909 to schedule your FREE case review or fill out our confidential online form today.

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The information in this blog post (“post”) is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. No information in this post should be construed as legal advice from the individual author or the law firm, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal counsel on any subject matter. No reader of this post should act or refrain from acting based on any information included in or accessible through this post without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer licensed in the recipient’s state, country, or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction.

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Colorado Springs, CO 80903
(719) 520-9909
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