Permanent Impairment Benefits

Every day another person is injured while on the job, some injuries may be a minor slip and fall while others could permanently impair the worker. Permanent impairment is a physical or mental injury that impairs a person to the extent that they are not able to continue their occupational or normal day-to-day activities.

In the state of Arizona the private industry recorded more than 300 injuries in 2011 of which at least 90 cases resulted in time loss. When a worker suffers from a permanent disability the loss of time may initially be temporary until a doctor determines that the injury is permanent.

If you or a loved one has suffered from permanent impairment at the time of your employment and due to no fault of your own, the victim may be entitled to further compensation for medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and more.

For a free evaluation of your workers compensation situation, fill out the FREE CASE REVIEW form to your right.

Types of Permanent Impairment

Once the injured worker has sought medical treatment, a doctor could determine that the individuals condition can no longer be improved, but that their condition will not deteriorate. The doctor will notify the insurance company that the worker has suffered from a permanent injury.

Permanent impairment may be labeled as a scheduled or unscheduled injury. A scheduled injury is damage to a specific body part such as the:

• Eye
• Hand
• Arm
• Leg
• Foot

An unscheduled injury may be the result of other impairments or general impairment that simply does not fall under a scheduled injury. Some types of unscheduled permanent impairment include:

• Back Injury
• Hip Impairment
• Occupational Disease

The scheduled injuries are set forth by the state of Arizona and doctors will determine how deeply impaired the worker is.

Permanent Impairment Benefits

The benefits a person may receive due to their permanent impairment involves many factors but most importantly how debilitating the injury is. Worker’s compensation for permanent injuries is usually paid once a month and the amounts may be calculated a few different ways. For scheduled injuries they may use the following guidelines:

• Partial Loss 50% of average monthly wage
• Amputation 55% of average monthly wage
• Total Loss/Inability to Return to work 75% of average monthly wage

For unscheduled injuries many more factors are taken into consideration receive such as age, education, and previous occupations to determine how much the injured worker may receive. The amount the worker receives may be partly based on how much income the person may be able to earn in the future. The amount is often 55% of the difference between your current monthly average wage and the amount The Arizona Industrial Commission estimates that youll be able to earn. Each year the injured worker must send the workers compensation insurance company their Annual Report of Income to determine how much the permanent impaired worker is entitled to.

In some cases if a worker finds an occupation where they are earning the same or more than their previous average monthly earning they will not receive any monetary compensation for their injury.

Contact our Tucson Workers Compensation Attorney

Being injured on the job can be a very difficult situation to handle as oftentimes your employer initially handles much of the workers’ comp paperwork. If you or a loved one has been hurt on the job and is experiencing difficulty receiving the workers compensation benefits they deserve, our attorneys are ready to help.

At Phillips Law Group we are knowledgeable in Arizonas workers comp benefits and can help you fight for the MAXIMUM amount of compensation you deserve. We have several offices located throughout Arizona and are proud to serve the following areas:

• Phoenix
• Tucson
• Mesa
• Chandler
• Peoria

and many more local towns and cities. To find out how we may be able to help you with your workers compensation claim, contact us at 1-800- 706-3000. Our dedicated intake staff members are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to assist you.

If you prefer to contact us online fill out the FREE CASE REVIEW form located at the top right hand corner of this page its 100% FREE and completely confidential.