After A Job Injury Amputation Or Loss Of The Use Of Part Of Your Body
The attorneys at Schmidt, Kirifides & Rassias, know that amputation or loss of use of a body part due to an accident at work is a life-altering experience. Dealing with the intricacies of the workers’ compensation program should not add to your hardship at such a distressing time. An experienced Workers’ Compensation attorney will ease the burden by handling your petition for the different types of benefits that apply to such an injury.
About Workers’ Compensation Specific Loss Benefits
Specific loss benefits are available under Pennsylvania law in addition to wage loss and medical benefits. You may be entitled to these benefits if your hearing or sight, arm, leg, hand, finger, foot, or toe has lost some or all of its function due to an injury or accident at work. If you have only lost part of the use of a finger, toe, or another part of your body, you may be entitled to receive additional compensation provided under the workers’ compensation act. These benefits are payable for the specific loss of the injured body part and are not payments for lost time from work; specific loss benefits are calculated separately from other types of benefits. Even if you have not missed days at work, you may be entitled to specific loss benefits. The body part affected need not be amputated or rendered useless to be compensable.
Even scars may entitle you to these additional benefits, whether caused at the time of the work injury or as a result of surgery. These disfigurement claims require very specific facts to be proven by the evidence to support an award by the court. The Pennsylvania Workers’ Compensation attorneys at Schmidt, Kirifides & Rassias, are very experienced litigators, who possess the skill necessary to thoroughly present the facts required for a successful outcome in these types of cases.
The legal test for specific loss benefits is whether the body part, hearing or eyesight has been lost for all practical intents and purposes. For specific loss of body parts or eyesight, Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law provides for a specific number of weeks of benefits as well as a healing period during which benefits are paid. A maximum of 275 weeks of compensation is payable for scarring of the face, neck, head caused by a work accident, or by surgery necessary after a job-related accident. The workers’ compensation judge assigned to your claim decides the number of weeks’ compensation you will receive at his or her discretion.
An individual may have suffered a permanent injury to a particular body part that is not totally disabling but may still be entitled to receive a set sum of benefits that has been pre-determined by the Workers’ Compensation Regulations.
Certain guidelines have been established for those who can receive specific loss benefits, including an explanation of the medical evidence required to support a loss-of-use claim. When you have suffered an injury which you now believe is permanent, you may be entitled to make a claim for a specific loss benefit if you can prove that you have lost the use of 50% or 100% of that body part.
We Will Fight For Your Interests
The complexities of specific loss claims are often best left to an experienced lawyer with up-to-date knowledge of the laws and regulations surrounding Pennsylvania workers’ compensation. Based on their detailed knowledge of the workers’ compensation law and their substantial experience and skill in handling and winning these types of claims, our Media, Pennsylvania, workers’ compensation lawyers will represent you and fight for the most beneficial outcome possible. Regardless of where you are located in Pennsylvania, Schmidt, Kirifides & Rassias, can help. Call us at 610-601-5399 or contact us online. Our experienced lawyers are happy to offer you a free consultation about your claim for specific loss benefits related to your amputation, hearing or vision loss, or the loss of use of any body part due to a work injury.