Injury while on-the-job is common and can involve any part of the human body. Common forms of trauma include shoulder, back, and neck injuries. Repetitive strain injuries can affect people in a number of job settings and professions, with the worker experiencing pain, numbness, tingling sensations, swelling, or other symptoms. Ideally, the workers compensation insurance company accepts a persons claim, provides for medical care for injuries, and pays the worker the benefits they are owed, depending upon the nature of the injury. In some instances, the insurance company offers a reduced level of benefits, relative to what the worker is actually entitled to, or rejects the claim altogether. In either instance, this is when having an experienced Iowa workers' compensation lawyer is invaluable. The law regarding compensation for on-the-job injuries is complex, so a skillful lawyer can help the injured worker fight for compensation owed them under the law or, if the claim was rejected, to file a petition. State law entitles injured workers to be assigned light duty work appropriate for the individual or healing period benefits until maximum medical improvement is reached. If the worker has ongoing functional impairment, healing period benefits cease and payment for permanent partial disability begins. It should be noted that injured workers who are laid off prior to reaching maximum medical improvement are to be paid healing period benefits for the time period of the layoff. In addition, injured workers terminated prior to reaching maximum medical improvement are, in most cases, entitled to receive healing period benefits after termination until this milestone is achieved. Workers unable to return to work after an injury are entitled to receive permanent partial disability benefits for up to 500 weeks. If the workers injuries have resulted in permanent total disability, the worker is allowed benefits for the remainder of their life. Not all workers are considered employees, so for injured individuals or the loved ones of someone who has died as a result of an on-the-job injury, it is imperative that they speak with a workers' compensation lawyer in Iowa in a timely manner.