In Cornelison v. TIG Insurance, claimant injured his back in 1996, while he was shoveling dirt at work. He underwent back surgery after his accident, but it did not help resolve his pain and medical conditions. He filed for workers’ compensation benefits, and the board determined he was permanently and totally disabled under a state law doctrine known as the odd-lot doctrine. His date of disability was 2001.
Claimant did not contest this PTD rating, and he also began to receive to Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits. While it is okay for an injured worker to receive SSDI benefits in addition to his workers’ compensation benefits, he will be required to offset the payments by reimbursing the workers’ compensation insurance company, so as to avoid what is known as a double recovery. Continue reading