If accurate weekly wages cannot be determined, how should TD be determined?

• A. Pay Minimum TD
• B. Pay Maximum TD
• C. Delay Payment of TD and Request Wage Statement
• D. Average Actual Weekly Earnings and Pay TD Accordingly

Answer: (A)

When benefits are tied to earnings but you don’t have reliable weekly wage data, you should pay the minimum temporary disability amount. This provides the worker with some wage replacement without delaying benefits, while you obtain and verify the wage information needed for a precise calculation.

Paying the maximum would risk overpaying without a solid earnings basis, and delaying benefits while you chase wage statements can unnecessarily penalize the employee. Averaging actual weekly earnings isn’t possible without the payroll data, so you can’t base TD on that. Once wage information is obtained, you can adjust the TD to reflect the accurate earnings and issue any necessary settlement.