Suffering a permanent disability changes your life forever.
It may leave you struggling to perform everyday activities. You’re probably dealing with soaring medical bills and lost wages. It often takes a physical and emotional toll on you and your family.
If your disability was caused by a workplace injury or illness, you may be eligible for relief in the form of benefits from your employer or their insurance company.
You’ll want to talk to a qualified workers’ comp attorney to determine how much you’re entitled to, and to ensure that you actually receive the full amount you are owed.
As a starting point, it also helps to understand the difference between a permanent partial disability and a total permanent disability.
Permanent Partial Disability
Permanent partial disability is the most common type of workers’ compensation claim, representing over half of all claims. In most cases, it means you are unable to work at full capacity, but may still be able to perform some jobs with appropriate accommodations. Here are just a few examples of injuries that can cause permanent partial disability:- Back injuries (most common)
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Amputation of a body part, such as a finger or hand
- Hearing loss
- Loss of vision in one eye
- Knee injury
- Nerve damage
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Compensation is based on a percentage of your average weekly wages.
- That percentage is multiplied by a number assigned to the part of your body that was injured, and the percent of disability you’ve sustained.
- The disability percentage is subjective, based on your recovery and the type of injury sustained
Total Permanent Disability
In some cases, your injuries may be so severe that you are unable to work at all. Injuries that can cause permanent total disability include head trauma and spinal cord injuries. People who suffer a permanent total disability may receive a lifetime pension under the Missouri workers’ compensation system.- 66 ⅔% of your average weekly earnings on the date of your injury
- Benefits may not exceed an amount set by Missouri law
- You may receive weekly payments or a single lump-sum payment
About the Author
Randy Alberhasky has over 25 years of experience helping those disabled due to a workplace injury or other personal injury. Whether our clients have experienced a permanent or temporary disability in their personal injury or workers’ compensation case, The Alberhasky Law Firm, P.C. is proud to help these individuals receive the compensation they deserve for their injuries. We will guide you through the lawsuit process and provide the legal counsel needed to help you.
