When a Work Injury Leads to Amputation

I have helped many injured workers recover benefits after suffering an injury that led to an amputation of one or more of their body parts.

“Amputation is the surgical removal of all or part of a limb or extremity such as an arm, leg, foot, hand, toe, or finger.”  (taken from www.webmd.com)

“About 1.8 million Americans are living with amputations. Amputation of the leg — either above or below the knee — is the most common amputation surgery.”  (taken from www.webmd.com)

I cannot imagine what it must be like to lose a part of your body.  In my opinion, you can’t put a price tag on a body part.

Unfortunately, workers’ compensation is a “fixed” system.  Awards to an injured worker for the loss of a body part are predetermined based on a math equation and a person’s pre-injury average weekly wage.  That being said, injured workers need to make sure that they are getting all of the benefits they are entitled to as a result of their injury.  More often than not, the only way to ensure this is to work with an attorney who is knowledgeable and experienced in dealing with the Virginia workers’ compensation system.  Do not be fooled by an insurance adjuster claiming they are offering you maximum benefits for your claim!