Are You Eligible For Temporary Disability In Ohio? (2026)

What Is Temporary Total Disability (TTD) in Ohio?

Temporary total disability covers the wages you lost if you sustained a work-related injury or illness that prevents you from working. You will need to get a doctor to state that you can’t work to be eligible.

Who Can Receive TTD and When?

Any employee who has sustained an occupational injury or illness can receive temporary disability in Ohio. This includes full-time, part-time and seasonal workers.

You can start receiving TTD if you can’t work for at least seven days. If your doctor clears you for light duties, but that’s not an option at your job, you can also start receiving TTD.

How to Request or Apply for TTD

It’s always a good idea to work with an Ohio personal injury lawyer as you file for temporary disability in Ohio. You will first need to file a Request for Temporary Total Compensation form.

You’ll have to get your doctor to fill out an official report via the Physician’s Report of Work Ability form, and then get an earning statement from all of your employers for the 52 weeks before the injury.

Disputing TTD Decisions: The Industrial Commission Process

The Ohio Industrial Commission (IC) allows both employers and injured employees to file appeals. Unlike similar commissions in some states, Ohio’s IC gives employers and employees three levels of appeals:

District Level

A district-level appeal hearing is held before a district hearing officer (DHO). All parties may present information, and the DHO will mail their decision to everyone involved afterwards.

If you or any other involved party is unhappy with the decision, you have 14 days to appeal. Appeals may be filed through the IC’s online system or by submitting Form IC-12.

Staff Level

If you appeal a DHO’s decision, the next appeal is heard by a staff hearing officer (SHO). Just like at the DHO level, all involved parties must present evidence. Once the SHO makes a decision, they will mail it to everyone involved.

If you are not satisfied with the SHO’s decision, you may appeal it within 14 days. The appeals process at the staff level is just like the process for appealing a DHO decision.

Commission Level

You may also request a hearing with the three IC Commissioners. Keep in mind that, while you are guaranteed the right to a DHO and SHO hearing, hearings at the commission level are only granted at the Commissioners’ discretion.

Further Appeals

What happens if you’ve exhausted these appeal options? At this point, you may file a lawsuit in the appropriate state court. If you haven’t already started working with an attorney, it’s important to seek the help of a litigation lawyer before taking legal action.

Award Amount, Payment and Benefit Rate

For the first 12 weeks of TTD, you will receive 72% of your full weekly wage. Once you pass week 12, you will receive 66.66% of your average weekly wage.

When TTD Payments End

TTD payments for injuries or illness end when you return to work, your doctor clears you to return to your pre-injury job, you reach maximum medical improvement, you abandon your employment, you are incarcerated or your employer offers a valid alternative position.

Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) and Your TTD Benefits

Maximum medical improvement (MMI) is an important factor in the termination of your temporary total disability benefits. MMI is a plateau in treatment where your treating physicians don’t expect any further functional improvement.

Notably, reaching MMI doesn’t mean that your medical treatment stops. You can continue receiving treatment, but your TTD payments must stop because your condition is no longer considered “temporary.”

Previously, Ohio allowed TTD benefits to continue until the claimant’s Industrial Commission hearing. However, in 2024, the Ohio Supreme Court reversed that precedent in State ex rel. Dillon v. Industrial Commission. That ruling, often called the “Dillon decision,” allows employers to recoup any benefits paid after a doctor’s MMI determination.

For example, imagine that your doctor determines you reached maximum medical improvement in August. You continue to receive benefits until they’re terminated at your Industrial Commission hearing in November. Under the new precedent, you might have to pay back benefits you received from August to November.

TTD and FMLA: Overlap, Eligibility and Limits

You can receive both TTD and have unpaid leave from the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) if your condition is eligible. With both of these programs, your employer must protect your job. For FMLA eligibility, you need to have worked for 12 months for your employer. You must also have worked at least 1,250 hours in the previous 12 months.

FMLA protects your job while you recover, and TTD provides income.

Legal Support and Next Steps

If you are struggling to get your TTD claim approved, you may need assistance from an attorney. At ConsumerShield, we can connect you with attorneys in your area who can help. Fill out our form to get started.