If you have a serious mental or physical disability, it can become impossible to do many normal life activities. This can include even the most basic and routine actions like working, sleeping, walking, and eating.
Fortunately, there are multiple Arkansas disability benefit options for people who have a disabling physical or mental condition.
Long-term Arkansas disability benefits can stem from both Arkansas’s workers’ compensation program and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) from the Social Security Administration (SSA).
Yet while there are similarities between these two disability payment programs, they represent two distinct pathways for disabled individuals and often serve different needs.
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Arkansas Workers’ Compensation Disability Benefits
Arkansas’s workers’ compensation program covers accidental injuries that employees receive through their employment. It is a no-fault program, which means that the injured worker does not need to prove that their employer was negligent.
They are covered even if they accidentally caused their own injury.
Under this program, covered injuries include both temporary injuries as well as more permanent disabilities. Furthermore, almost every employer in Arkansas has to provide workers’ compensation to their employees.
However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. For example, employers that have fewer than three employees do not have to offer workers’ compensation.
In addition, certain types of employers — like non-profit organizations, religious sects, and charitable groups — are exempt from the workers’ compensation requirement.
Also, there are three injuries that you Arkansas Workers’ compensation benefits do not cover:
- Hearing loss;
- Back injuries that develop gradually; and
- Rapid repetitive motion injuries (like carpal tunnel syndrome).
Even though Arkansas features a no-fault workers compensation insurance system, the employee still has a responsibility to their employer to promptly report the injury and file a claim.
If you had an injury at your workplace some time ago but have not yet filed a claim, you may need to act quickly to obtain compensation. An Arkansas disability attorney will be able to guide you through the state’s workers’ compensation claim process.
How to Obtain Social Security Disability Insurance in Arkansas
The SSA offers SSDI benefits for individuals who have a qualifying physical or mental health disability.
Unlike workers’ compensation benefits, which include a payment program for people who have a short-term disability in Arkansas, you can get SSA disability benefits only if your physical or mental health disability has lasted at least 12 months or is expected to last more than 12 months.
Also unlike with workers’ compensation, your disability does not have to be work-related to be eligible for SSDI benefits. A huge range of medical and physical conditions qualify as disabilities, including:
- Schizophrenia,
- Lupus,
- Bipolar disorder,
- Heart disease,
- Diabetes,
- Kidney stones,
- Hemophilia, and
- Missing hands or legs.
Unfortunately, the process for obtaining Social Security Disability Insurance benefits is quite complicated. Therefore, your best choice is to contact a knowledgeable disability law lawyer right away.
Do You Have More Questions About Arkansas Disability Benefits?
If you are considering hiring an attorney for Arkansas disability benefits, you have come to the right place. We know that you have several Arkansas disability lawyers to choose from. However, Cottrell Law Office is not like your typical law firm.
We have over 32 years of experience helping the injured and disabled in Arkansas and other states. In addition, we have won awards from the National Trial Lawyers and Martindale-Hubbell.
On top of that, our testimonials show that we are dedicated to providing the best client service possible and giving our customers the personal attention they deserve. Most importantly, our outstanding results show how much we love winning big for our clients.
Don’t wait. Give us a call today at 800-364-8305 or contact us online.
Wesley Cottrell
Wes Cottrell earned his B.A. from Pittsburg State University in 1981 and his J.D. from the Washburn University School of Law in Topeka, Kansas in 1985. He was admitted to practice law in Kansas in 1986, in Missouri in 1987, in Arkansas in 1989, and Oklahoma in 1993. He is licensed to practice law in the United States District Court for the District of Kansas, eastern Arkansas, western Arkansas, and western Missouri. He was Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in Crawford County, Kansas from 1987-1989.
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