Every year the Workers’ Compensation Agency (WCA) releases new Weekly Benefits Tables to help recipients throughout the state easily check on their allotted payment rates, as well as make sure they aren’t being taken advantage of by sly insurance companies. Right now the 2019 benefit tables are officially out , so to help you utilize them properly our workers compensation specialists have put together a guide to help you ensure you’re getting everything you deserve. Step One: Figure Out Your Gross Average Weekly Wage The first thing you will want/need to do is assemble all your pay stubs from the 52 weeks prior to the date of your workplace injury – including any and all overtime, bonuses, and premium pay – organizing them by amount from highest to lowest. Once everything is all laid out, take out the 39 highest pay stubs and add them all together, dividing the final sum by the number of total weeks (39). The resulting number represents your average weekly wage earnings and will help you determine your benefits amount in the next step. Step Two: Plug Your Average Weekly Wage Amount Into The Benefit Tables You will always want to start in the upper left hand corner, working your way downward until you locate the column that has your average weekly wage amount listed – which is the final figure you arrived at in step one. Then, looking at all the information in each row, you will need to figure out which tax status best represents your family to determine your weekly compensation rate. Be advised that all compensation rates listed on the new benefit tables are still subject to the statewide maximum, which for 2019 is $921.00. Be Vigilant Be sure you are as accurate as possible when double-checking how much you should be receiving in benefits. Insurance companies will often try to manipulate tiny details in your file, such as erroneously listing your number of dependents or not using your 39 highest paid weeks to determine your average weekly wage amount, in an effort to reduce their own fiscal responsibility. If you do happen to see any discrepancies in your information and you think they may be affecting your compensation rates, you will need to take immediate legal action to have things corrected. For more information about figuring out your gross average weekly wage, properly using the WCA’s new 2019 benefit tables , or fighting back against unjust insurance companies who are out to withhold compensation that is rightfully yours, we encourage you to reach out to our remarkably insightful and well connected workers compensation attorneys at Harris Law Call 231.347.4444 or fill out the free consultation form in the sidebar to schedule your free personal consultation.