You were injured on the job. You’ve been released from medical care, and the doctor has given you an impairment rating. Now what?
Unless you qualify for permanent and total disability, which we will discuss in a subsequent blog, you will be assigned an impairment rating to a particular part of your body depending on your injury. For example, if you injured your knee at work and had arthroscopy surgery, the treating physician may release you from care and give you a 10% impairment rating. If you look down the list in the code section below, you will find the knee is worth 195 weeks total. Given the 10% rating, you would be entitled to a minimum of 19.5 weeks (195 x 10%) of weekly compensation. I say at a minimum because impairment ratings are only one factor the Commission uses to determine an award of disability. Other factors include the injured workers age, education, prior work history, permanent work restrictions, and future medical treatment needs. The following is the actual statutory law for your review. It is SC Code Section 42-9-10:
Schedule of period of disability and compensation.
In cases included in the following schedule, the disability in each case is considered to continue for the period specified and the compensation paid for the injury is as specified:
(1) for the loss of a thumb sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during sixty-five weeks;
(2) for the loss of a first finger, commonly called the index finger, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during forty weeks;
(3) for the loss of a second finger, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during thirty-five weeks;
(4) for the loss of a third finger, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during twenty-five weeks;
(5) for the loss of a fourth finger, commonly called the little finger, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during twenty weeks;
(6) the loss of the first phalange of the thumb or any finger is considered to be equal to the loss of one half of such thumb or finger and the compensation must be for one half of the periods of time above specified;
(7) the loss of more than one phalange is considered the loss of the entire finger or thumb; provided, however, that in no case shall the amount received for more than one finger exceed the amount provided in this schedule for the loss of a hand;
(8) for the loss of a great toe, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during thirty-five weeks;
(9) for the loss of one of the toes other than a great toe, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during ten weeks;
(10) the loss of the first phalange of any toe is considered to be equal to the loss of one half of such toe and the compensation must be for one half the periods of time above specified;
(11) the loss of more than one phalange is considered as the loss of the entire toe;
(12) for the loss of a hand, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during one hundred and eighty-five weeks;
(13) for the loss of an arm, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during two hundred twenty weeks;
(14) for the loss of a shoulder, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during three hundred weeks;
(15) for the loss of a foot, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during one hundred forty weeks;
(16) for the loss of a leg, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during one hundred ninety-five weeks;
(17) for the loss of a hip, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during two hundred eighty weeks;
(18) for the loss of an eye, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during one hundred forty weeks;
(19) for the complete loss of hearing in one ear, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during eighty weeks; and for the complete loss of hearing in both ears, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during one hundred sixty-five weeks, and the commission, by regulation, shall provide for the determination of proportional benefits for total or partial loss of hearing based on accepted national medical standards;
(20) total loss of use of a member or loss of vision of an eye is considered as equivalent to the loss of the member or eye. The compensation for partial loss of or for partial loss of use of a member or for partial loss of vision of an eye is the proportion of the payments provided in this section for total loss as such partial loss bears to total loss;
(21) for the loss of use of the back in cases where the loss of use is forty-nine percent or less, sixty-six and two-thirds percent of the average weekly wages during three hundred weeks. In cases where there is fifty percent or more loss of use of the back, sixty-six and two-thirds percent the average weekly wages during five hundred weeks. The compensation for partial loss of use of the back shall be such proportions of the periods of payment herein provided for total loss as such partial loss bears to total loss, except that in cases where there is fifty percent or more loss of use of the back the injured employee shall be presumed to have suffered total and permanent disability and compensated under Section 42-9-10
(B). The presumption set forth in this item is rebuttable;
(22) for the total or partial loss of, or loss of use of, a member, organ, or part of the body not covered in this section and not covered under Section 42-9-10 or 42-9-20, sixty-six and two-thirds of the average weekly wages not to exceed five hundred weeks. The commission, by regulation, shall prescribe the ratio which the partial loss or loss or partial loss of use of a particular member, organ, or body part bears to the whole man, basing these ratios on accepted medical standards and these ratios determine the benefits payable under this subsection;
(23) proper and equitable benefits must be paid for serious permanent disfigurement of the face, head, neck, or other area normally exposed in employment, not to exceed fifty weeks. Where benefits are paid or payable for injury to or loss of a particular member or organ under other provisions of this title, additional benefits must not be paid under this item, except that disfigurement also includes compensation for serious burn scars or keloid scars on the body resulting from injuries, in addition to any other compensation. The weekly compensation payments referred to in this section all are subject to the same limitations as to maximum and minimum as set out in Section 42-9-10.
As you can see, there are a number of provisions in this Code section that interact with other parts of the law. Even if you have a “simple” case, you should meet with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney and see what options you may have.
At Reeves, Aiken & Hightower LLP, our lawyers are experienced workers’ compensation attorneys. Robert J. Reeves is a former Registered Nurse (RN) who has actually treated patients with the same type of serious injuries he now represents in workers’ compensation cases. Both Robert J. Reeves and Arthur K. Aiken are former insurance defense attorneys who know how to anticipate and prepare for defenses and insurance company tactics. During our twenty-two (22) years each of practicing law, we have successfully handled virtually every type of workers’ compensation injuries, including neck, back, shoulder, knee accidents, closed head / brain injury, herniated disks, bulging disks, diskectomy surgery, fusion procedures, arthroscopy, chemical and fire burns, automobile accidents on the job, psychological / post traumatic stress, permanent and total disability claims, and wrongful death. We welcome the opportunity to sit down and personally discuss your case. Compare our attorneys’ credentials to any other firm. Then call us for a private consultation. www.rjrlaw.com