By suffering an injury on the job, it opens up the possibility of qualifying for workers’ compensation benefits.
A schedule of calculations will further determine whether or not the individual may receive a permanency award, but what exactly is this?
How does workers’ compensation work?
First, it is important to understand how workers’ compensation functions. After a worker sustains an injury on the job, the first step is to seek medical attention immediately, followed by a report made to the employer. The employer will then provide the form for the worker to seek compensation. For permanent injuries or injuries with lasting, permanent effects, the insurer then needs to calculate a value.
The state government has a list detailing permanent partial disability benefits as they apply to individual body parts. This is the way in which approximate value is calculated.
Calculating permanency for disabilities
The judge or attorney will use the provided schedule, estimating a value via the multiplication of 60 percent of a weekly wage by the number of weeks listed for the body part that was injured. For example, an injured thumb may receive 76 weeks of compensation, while an injured foot might receive 167 weeks. Loss of hearing in both ears may result in benefits lasting 215 weeks.
These permanency awards can go a long way in helping a worker recover from any injury they may have faced that severely reduced or entirely eliminated their ability to do their job for some time. It is a great option for balancing out the financial hurdles that accompany a serious injury.
