Because of my job-related back injury, I have to take a lower salary job. Can I recover the difference in my salary before and after the accident?

If you are unable to work because of a job-related injury or disease, in most states the workers’ compensation law allows you have the right to be paid until your injuries allow you to return to work. A disability that permanently prevents you from returning to the kind of work you had done in the past, or forces you to take a lower-paying job, may entitle you to weekly compensation paid by your employer’s insurance equal to a percentage of the difference between your present pay and the pay you would have been able to earn in your former occupation.

In addition to a percentage of the difference in your pay, you likely also have the right to receive compensation from your employer’s workers’ compensation insurer for any permanent disability caused by your accident at work.

Workers’ compensation laws are different in every state. It is best to contact an attorney in your state to discuss the compensation that you are entitled to.