Nevada’s workers’ compensation laws recognize the sacrifices law enforcement makes every day to protect our community. Due to the nature of your job, and the fact that you’re exposed to dangerous situations every time you put on your uniform, you deserve more benefits than many other workers.

It’s easier for a police officer to prove a work-related injury than other employees in the work comp system. Specifically, Nevada law presumes certain police officers’ health conditions or catastrophic injuries are work-related and automatically qualify for workers’ comp benefits.

These Illnesses are Presumed to be Work-Related

Most Nevada workers must prove that their illnesses are work-related to qualify for benefits. As a police officer, you do not have to prove any connection between your job and your diagnoses for these illnesses:

• Certain contagious diseases including tuberculosis, HIV, and hepatitis—as long as you have been working for a specific period of time and did not have the disease when you started work.
• Cancer—if you were exposed to cancer-causing agents that could cause your type of cancer with five years of employment under your belt.
• Heart disease and lung disease—if you have served for at least two years. Other restrictions may apply depending on your situation,
• Also, if you are diagnosed with these illnesses after you end your active service, they may still be presumed work-related for workers’ compensation purposes.

If you don’t meet the time service requirements for automatic presumption, you may still qualify for work comp benefits if you can prove your illness is work-related.

Because legal requirements can change over time, you should speak with a workers’ compensation professional as soon as possible to protect your legal rights.

Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits Available to Nevada Law Enforcement

We understand, when you respond to a call, pull over a vehicle, or report to a crime scene you never know exactly what you are getting into. Police regularly face risks that range from minor injuries to the ultimate sacrifice. In response, Nevada workers’ compensation law provides benefits for a wide variety of injury situations.

Work comp benefits are designed to:

• Help an injured worker return to their former employment,
• Cover the wages that are lost during recovery,
• Pay expenses incurred throughout treatment and recovery, and
• Minimize any permanent effects from the injury.

These benefits are here for you. If you are injured on the job, you should accept the benefits offered by workers’ compensation insurance.

Money Benefits Available Through Workers’ Compensation

If you are injured on the job you will need money to cover your regular expenses while you are not working (or working in a reduced capacity), to pay for medical treatment, and possibly to cover future expenses caused by your condition.

Workers’ compensation benefits cover medical expenses such as doctor visits, surgery costs, hospital and treatment expenses, medical supplies including apparatus like crutches or a wheelchair, medications, prosthetics, physical therapy, and more.

Under the law, your injury can fall into different categories of benefits—temporary or permanent and partial or total. Let’s review each category and how to calculate your potential benefit amount.

Temporary Disability

If an officer is temporarily disabled due to a work-related injury or illness, workers’ comp will cover the wages that are lost during the temporary period. Temporary disability is calculated at two-thirds of the worker’s average monthly wage up to a maximum value that is adjusted every year for inflation. In 2021, the maximum temporary disability payment was capped at $4,183.82 per month.

Temporary Partial Disability (TPD)

These benefits apply to an officer who can only work part of a day and benefits are only paid for a maximum of 24 months. Since the officer can work some hours, the amount earned during the part-time work is subtracted from the temporary benefit as calculated above.

Temporary Total Disability (TTD)

If your injury keeps you from earning your regular full-time wages for five consecutive days, or five days within a twenty-day period, you may qualify for temporary total disability benefits. These benefits end when:

• You are released to return to work by your doctor,
• Your employer offers light-duty work or a modified schedule that meets your restrictions,
• Your condition has stabilized, or
• You are eligible for vocational rehabilitation.

Depending on your circumstances, at the end of TTD, you may be eligible for other benefits including permanent disability or vocational rehabilitation as described below.

Permanent Disability

These benefits come into play if you suffer permanent loss of bodily function or the ability to work as a result of your work-related injury or illness. Your condition must be stable and a medical practitioner must confirm you are unlikely to improve.

Permanent Partial Disability (PPD)

If you have permanently lost some of your prior functions but you can work in a different capacity, you may qualify for PPD. This benefit is calculated by determining your percentage of function loss and converting it into monetary compensation according to Nevada work comp law.

To qualify for PPD, you must objectively prove your loss of function with a doctor’s report or diagnostic results. These benefits will continue for five years or until you turn 70 years old, whichever is later.

Permanent Total Disability (PTD)

Officers who fall into this category have usually experienced a catastrophic injury as defined by Nevada law. Injuries such as the loss of both arms or both legs, losing one arm and one leg, total blindness, traumatic brain injury, and paralysis of both arms or legs are examples of PTD cases. Benefits are calculated at two-thirds of the officer’s average wage and are paid for the worker’s lifetime.

Other Workers’ Compensation Benefits

Injured law enforcement employees may also qualify for additional workers’ comp benefits. Depending on your specific circumstances, you or your family may also apply for the additional benefits below.

Death Benefits

If a police officer is killed in the line of duty or dies from a work-related incident, the officer’s family may apply for death benefits. The dollar amounts can change, but currently, workers’ compensation will pay $10,000 for funeral expenses and two-thirds of the officer’s average monthly wage to the officer’s dependents.

Vocational Rehabilitation Benefits

If you are facing permanent impairments, restrictions, or physical limitations after a work-related injury or illness that prevents you from going back to your former position, you can request vocational rehabilitation to help you find employment that fits your new abilities. You may qualify for further education, hands-on training, or other options to change your career.

Other Miscellaneous Benefits

Injured officers may also apply for reimbursement of certain work-related injury expenses related to medical care, doctor visits, rehabilitation services, and more. Benefits may include reimbursement for mileage, lodging, meals, and airfare related to your treatment. Be sure to file for payment within 60 days of incurring the expense to qualify for reimbursement.

For First Responders is Dedicated to Your Recovery

If you’ve been injured on the job, you need to focus on recovering and returning to work, not worrying about paying your bills and filling out forms. For First Responders was created to answer your questions and connect you with the best professional help when you need it.

Don’t try to tough it out on your own. Call (702) 840-5555 or fill out our online contact form if you have questions.