An amputation on the job is one of the worst possible injuries you can suffer. Losing part of your body because of a machinery malfunction or a vehicle wreck will mean that you need intensive medical care. Trauma support and surgery are often necessary right after an accident. Then, you will need physical and/or occupational therapy, pain management and even psychological counseling to process these changes.
Even after you leave the hospital, the bills will keep piling up for you. You will have to spend money making your home and vehicle accessible. You will also likely see a reduction in what you can earn at work based on how much of an impact the injury has on your job performance. Someone who loses a body part on the job in Ohio can count on workers’ compensation benefits to help them.
How does workers’ compensation handle amputation and similar permanent injuries?
An amputation is a kind of scheduled loss. With certain kinds of injuries, how long a worker receives benefits depends primarily on how long it takes them to recover full function after getting hurt. When someone undergoes an amputation, the physical consequences of the injury will be permanent. Thankfully, the state already has rules in place for how long someone will receive benefits.
Permanent injuries like amputations are scheduled losses that can qualify workers to receive workers’ compensation disability benefits for a specific amount of time.
How long can an amputee receive compensation?
Ohio has specific rules about how long workers receive compensation after an amputation. For those who lose a finger, compensation will last for between 15 weeks for a pinky or little finger to 60 weeks for a thumb.
Losing a hand means 175 weeks of compensation, which increases to 225 weeks if someone loses an arm. Losing a foot will lead to 150 weeks of benefits, while a leg means 200 weeks. Even the loss of sensory function can qualify a worker for a scheduled loss claim. Losing your sight or hearing can lead to scheduled compensation. So can permanent disfigurement of the head or face.
Learning more about how workers’ compensation handles catastrophic injuries will help you get the benefits you deserve according to Ohio state law when you suffer a permanent injury on the job.