Work-related accidents, which result in spinal cord injuries, are almost always considered catastrophic in nature under a state's workers' compensation laws. In many states, individuals with a "catastrophic" injury qualify for benefits that are generally not available to those workers with less devastating injuries. Once compensability has been established, the injured worker may still have many battles to fight to gain access to all benefits available. These benefits naturally include rehabilitation and case management but also include extraordinary benefits designed to restore the independence to the injured worker that was taken by the accident. The likelihood of obtaining the extraordinary benefits varies greatly from state to state.
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