You have been injured at work during the course of your regular job duties, and have lost a limb or use of a limb, what do you do now? How long will you potentially be paid for?
What is Permanent Partial Disability?
Permanent partial disability is different than other types of workers’ compensation. Permanent partial disability payment benefits are used to compensate an injured employee for the permanent loss of limb or use of limb, or multiple limbs. These payments are made whether you have received payments under temporary total disability, or temporary partial disability. The permanent partial disability payments cannot be made until after you have exhausted your temporary total disability or temporary partial disability payments.
What losses are covered?
If you are injured as a result of a work-related accident, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation. If you have lost a limb, or the use of a limb, there are a maximum number of weeks you may collect workers’ compensation for. The loss of limbs and/or loss of use of limbs and maximum payment weeks are as follows:
- Thumb – 60 weeks;
- Index finger – 40 weeks;
- Middle finger – 35 weeks;
- Ring finger – 30 weeks;
- Little finger – 25 weeks;
- Arm –225 weeks;
- Foot – 135 weeks;
- Leg – 225 weeks;
- Eye – 150 weeks;
- Great toe – 30 weeks;
- Other toes – 20 weeks;
- Hand – 160 weeks;
- Disability/whole body – 300 weeks;
- Loss of hearing in one ear – 75 weeks; and
- Loss of hearing in both ears – 150 weeks.
How are payments calculated?
The State Bureau of Workers’ Compensation determines the payments by using the guidelines established in the Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, Fifth Edition, which is published by the American Medical Association. If you have lost a limb and/or lost the use of your limb, or limbs, you should receive a rating from your employer and/or insurance company approved physician. If you have not received a rating, your employer and/or insurance company must request an impairment rating within thirty days of the exhaustion of your temporary total disability or temporary partial disability payments. Within 21 days of receiving the impairment rating, or, having knowledge of the impairment rating, your employer and/or insurance company must begin your permanent partial disability payments. The State Bureau of Workers’ Compensation assumes that your employer and/or insurance company will have knowledge of your rating a maximum of ten days following the report from your approved physician. If you do not begin receiving payments within 21 days of the report, you should contact your employer and/or insurance company immediately.
Contact a Nashville Attorney
If you or a loved one was injured at work, and have lost a limb or use of your limb, there are many factors you must consider. You need to understand your options, and rules under the law. You will need the help of an experienced workers’ compensation attorney in Nashville. Reach out to a Nashville attorney today for more information on how you can recover compensation.