Work-related catastrophic injuries information

If you’ve been seriously injured on the job, we’re here to help you. You can get support from the Saskatchewan Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB). Feel free to share this information with your family or anyone else who’s helping you.

A catastrophically injured worker is someone who sustains a life-threatening injury or an injury that results in a permanent loss of function or significant disfigurement. These types of injuries can be physical and/or psychological in nature. A catastrophic injury may include, but is not limited to: 

• quadriplegia
• paraplegia
• upper and/or lower limb amputation
• severe head injury
• severe burns
• blindness

Immediate family members of catastrophically injured workers can include a spouse, parent, legal guardian, grandparent, child, grandchild or sibling.

Your main contact at the WCB will be the customer care facilitator who handles your claim. This is someone you’ll get to know. Whenever you deal with your customer care facilitator or anyone else at the WCB, it’s a good idea to have your claim number handy.

Any time you have questions about your benefits — whether the WCB can fund an expense, what decisions have been made about compensation and rehabilitation, or if we might be able to help in any other way — ask your case manager.

No matter what the question, don’t hesitate. Just call.

In the weeks ahead, you may have questions about your care, benefits and other support that may be available to you and your family. Living with a serious injury is very difficult and when the injury is because of a sudden incident at work, it can be particularly tough and confusing. 

The WCB is committed to helping you. As you embark on your road to recovery, the WCB has a range of services available to you.

To help answer some of your questions, here is some key information about:

• Your care team – These are the people who are responsible for directing your care and giving you details about your condition. They include doctors, nurses, therapists and your team at the WCB.

• Your WCB medical care benefits – While you're recovering, the WCB will cover the cost of medical treatments, equipment, prosthetics and drugs that have been recommended by your doctor or therapists.

  • Travel support may be given to family members to reduce the short-term stress and hardship caused because of the need to attend treatment.
  • If your child care costs are higher than they were before the work injury, the WCB may cover some costs.

• Your rehabilitation – The WCB may also cover the cost of rehabilitation services to help you get better, increase your mobility and prepare you for returning to work, if possible. While the WCB is here to provide the resources you need, your recovery depends on you.
  • As an injured worker, you carry a physical and emotional load that most of us cannot imagine. Many seriously injured workers have told us they feel alone, depressed and angry. What has worked for many people is talking about how they are feeling with friends and family or with other injured workers. If you wish, your customer care facilitator can refer you to a professional. Be assured, when you do reach out, you will be heard and supported. Reaching out is an important step in your recovery.
  • If a family needs help coping with the worker’s injury or fatality, the WCB may pay for counselling and any related travel costs, if outside of a family’s home community.

• Life after your injury – When you’re ready, our team at the WCB is here to help you become more independent and carry on with your life. We know you are special with unique needs and our goal is to treat you as such.
  • The WCB will continue to assist you when you return home from the hospital. We’ll also help you explore new possibilities to regain your independence and reintegrate into your community.

• Family members of injured workers – The WCB knows from experience that the involvement of loved ones is critical. It is important for family and friends to stay close and to encourage your loved one to work through their recovery.