What happens if you lose an arm or injure an eye at work? How do you calculate the value of a body part? It’s probably not something you’ve thought about in detail. However, life-changing work injuries happen, and they can be devastating physically and financially. To determine workers’ compensation settlements, states use a predefined value chart that helps calculate such payments. You can also turn to a Cincinnati attorney specializing in work injuries who understands the implications of putting dollar values on lost body parts.
The Value of Lost Body Parts
Injury law allows states to define values for bodily injuries, and compensation and settlement amounts vary significantly across the United States. For example, one worker may receive $48,840 for losing an arm in a work accident, while another in the same scenario receives benefits that exceed $118,125. The reason? One lives in Alabama, and the other in Georgia.
If you lose an arm in Ohio, you could receive up to $193,950. Compare that to the average maximum compensation for the United States, which is $169,878. The national average for a leg is $153,221; in Ohio, $172,400. In Ohio, losing an eye can bring you a settlement of $107,750, compared to $96,700 nationally.
At first glance, these amounts may seem significant, but consider how much you’re losing by missing a hand for the rest of your life. For example, if your salary is $50,000 per year and you must retire early at 30 due to injury, this could cost you $1.6 million in lost wages alone. That’s a far cry from an award of $150,000, the maximum possible benefit. While you may receive other disability benefits, obtaining the amount you genuinely deserve would be difficult and time-consuming without hiring a personal injury lawyer who does workers’ compensation.
You Have the Right to Refuse Dangerous Work
Few people go to work expecting to lose a limb or body part. If you have concerns about the safety of your workplace, you shouldn’t be forced into conditions you feel are too dangerous. Instead, there are resources that can help you.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) protects your right to refuse dangerous work. You can withdraw consent to do a task if all of the following conditions are true:
- You believe that imminent danger exists.
- You asked your employer to address the threat, but they failed.
- Most people would agree that there’s a real risk of severe injury or death.
- Your employer cannot quickly correct the hazard through enforcement measures like an OSHA inspection.
You can also take the National Safety Council’s SafeAtWork Pledge. By taking this pledge, you agree to
- Never compromise your or others’ safety to get a job done
- Actively look for hazards, report them, and take action to warn others
- Always be a positive safety role model for friends and family
Seeking Legal Representation When Losing a Body Part
Amputated fingers or other body parts are life-changing injuries. If this happens to you, you’ll be dealing with medical treatment, psychological trauma and adjustment, and long-term disability. There’s also your financial future to think about. A lengthy rehabilitation and recovery compromises your ability to earn a paycheck.
Understanding your options after a severe injury is vital to your recovery. When your accident was due to faulty, unchecked equipment, in addition to employer negligence, you may have a product liability case along with your other claims. Workers’ compensation insurance pays benefits to employees injured on the job.
Depending on the circumstances and severity of your workplace amputation injuries, you may have additional options for financial compensation. If you are alone seeking compensation for your losses, speak with a qualified, experienced attorney at Clements, Taylor, Butkovich & Cohen, LPA, Co., today. They can assess your case and help you receive the settlement you deserve for your pain and suffering.