WI Workers' Comp Covers Disfigurement & Loss of Limbs
Employees who suffer amputations or scarring, or whose work injuries result in a permanent limp or other visible deformity to their body may be entitled to make a claim for disfigurement. In order to qualify for disfigurement benefits, an employee must prove that the disfiguring injury has affected her ability to earn wages.Disfigurement is an Additional Benefit
The disfigurement benefit is in addition to any temporary or permanent disability benefit already paid to the employee, and has a value of up to 50 weeks of the employee’s average weekly wage at the time of injury. So, for an employee earning $30,000 per year at the time of injury, the disfigurement statute, Wis. Stat. § 102.56, could provide a benefit of nearly $29,000.Disfigurement Benefits are at Judge's Discretion
Unlike most other types of benefits available to workers under Wisconsin’s workers compensation law, the statute does not provide a schedule or other predetermined criteria for deciding how much a judge should award for a disfigurement benefit, other than the 50 weeks maximum. Hawks Quindel’s attorneys have litigated hundreds of disfigurement claims over many decades, and can readily provide you an estimate of the value of your claim in the unfortunate event that you sustain an amputation, scar or other disfiguring injury.Contact Us
Contact us if you would like to discuss your situation or legal rights with a Wisconsin workers compensation attorney. Please call a Madison workers' compensation attorney directly at (608) 257-0040 or a Milwaukee workers' compensation attorney at (414) 271-8650, or email us via our Contact Page.