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Accident benefits - when are they due?

Payment of social security contributions also includes insurance against accidents at work and occupational diseases. In the event of a risk, the injured are entitled to accident benefits. The types of these benefits and the conditions for granting them are specified in the Act on social insurance against accidents at work and occupational diseases. Decisions regarding the granting of benefits are made by ZUS on the basis of the documentation in its possession. Read on to find out about Injury Benefits.

Accident benefits - what are the types?

In order to be considered an accident at work, the event must be accompanied by circumstances specified in the Accident Act. An accident at work is a sudden event caused by an external cause, causing injury or death, which occurred in connection with work:

during or in connection with the performance of ordinary activities or orders of superiors by the employee,
during or in connection with the performance of activities by the employee for the employer, even without a command,
while the employee is at the employer's disposal on the way between the employer's seat and the place of performance of the obligation resulting from the employment relationship.

In the same way as an accident at work, in terms of entitlement to accident benefits specified in the Act, the accident which the employee has suffered from:

during a business trip in circumstances other than those specified above, unless the accident was caused by the employee's conduct that is not related to the performance of the tasks entrusted to him,
during training in the field of universal self-defense,
when performing tasks ordered by the trade unions operating at the employer.

The accident act provides in Art. 3 sec. 3 situations that occurred during the accident insurance period, which may be considered an accident at work. In some cases specified in the act, accident benefits may also be provided to members of the injured person's family. Due to being subject to accident insurance, the appropriate amount of money is due, which depends on the effects of the events that have occurred.

Sickness benefit

You are entitled to the sickness benefit from the accident insurance regardless of the period of being covered by the sickness insurance. The right to accident benefit is not related to the limit used for the payment of sick pay in a given calendar year. An insured person whose incapacity for work resulted from an accident at work or an occupational disease is paid the sickness allowance from the accident insurance in the amount of 100% of the calculation basis. It should be noted that the sickness allowance from the accident fund is not payable for the period of inability to work due to an accident at work or an occupational disease, for which the insured person retains the right to remuneration, salary, scholarship or other benefit for the period of incapacity for work under separate provisions.

Rehabilitation benefit

The person entitled to the rehabilitation benefit is the insured person who, after exhausting the sickness benefit, is still unable to work, and further treatment or rehabilitation is likely to regain ability to work. The act provides for the payment of a rehabilitation benefit for a maximum of 12 months. The ZUS certifying physician decides about the circumstances justifying the right to a rehabilitation benefit and about the period necessary to restore the ability to work.

Compensation allowance

The person entitled to receive the compensatory allowance is an employee whose remuneration has been reduced as a result of permanent or long-term health impairment. Due to the fact that the remuneration is paid to employees, the right to this benefit may only be used by employees employed under an employment contract. The compensatory allowance is the difference between the average monthly remuneration for the 12 calendar months preceding rehabilitation and the monthly remuneration obtained during work with a reduced remuneration.

One-off compensation

This benefit is due to the insured who suffered permanent or long-term health impairment and to the family members of the deceased insured person or pensioner. The entitlement to a one-off compensation in this respect is determined after the completion of treatment and rehabilitation. The degree of health detriment and its connection with an accident at work is determined by the ZUS certifying physician. One-off compensation is due in the amount of 20% of the average wage for each percent of permanent or long-term health impairment.

Disability pension for work incapacity

A person entitled to a disability pension is an insured person who becomes unable to work as a result of an accident at work or an occupational disease. When determining the entitlement to a disability pension, the provisions of the Act on Pensions and Pensions from the Social Insurance Fund - the Pension Act. The regulations resulting from the Accident Act are also taken into account. The disability pension is payable irrespective of the length of the accident insurance period and irrespective of the date when the incapacity for work occurred.

Training pension

The person entitled to receive the training pension is the insured person who has been judged advisable to retrain due to incapacity to work in the current profession, caused by an accident at work or an occupational disease. The disability pension is payable regardless of the length of the accident insurance period, and also regardless of the date when the incapacity for work occurred due to the accident. The training pension is granted for a period of 6 months, but this period may be extended or shortened.

Survivor's pension

Persons entitled to a survivor's pension are members of the family of the deceased insured or a pensioner entitled to a pension due to an accident at work or an occupational disease. The conditions for granting the benefit are laid down in the Pension Act. The eligible family members are:

a spouse (widow or widower),
own, other spouse's and adopted children,
grandchildren, siblings and other children accepted for upbringing and maintenance before the age of majority, with the exception of children accepted for upbringing and maintenance within a foster family or family orphanage,
parents.

You are interested in accident benefits. Find out what to do in the event of an accident at work.