Insurance companies are required to pay permanent disability benefits to an employee whose work injury has caused permanent pain, partial or complete loss of use of a body part, or other permanent symptoms. Beyond those required permanent disability benefits, however, employees who have suffered the amputation of a body part, who have been burned or seriously cut, or whose injury leaves them with a permanent limp, may recover up to one year of additional benefits under the Worker’s Compensation statute.

Unfortunately, the law does not require insurance companies to notify an employee that he or she may be entitled to additional benefits for the disfigurement caused by a work injury. Rather, the employee must bring a possible disfigurement claim to the attention of the Worker’s Compensation Division. Such a claim must be proved with medical records and either photographic or videotape evidence of the disfiguring injury.

Hawks Quindel’s attorneys have decades of experience representing employees with disfiguring work injuries. We will gladly evaluate your claim, free of charge, and advise you of the value of your disfigurement claim.

Aaron Halstead