How Much Will I Receive for a Finger Injury at Work?

Did you know that more than 1 million workers in the US end up in the emergency room because of severe finger and hand injuries? These finger injuries may be sprains, fractures, crushed fingers, or amputations.

Employees receive workers’ compensation insurance for workplace injuries that cover the medical expenses and 66% of the employee’s pre-injury weekly wages.

Workplace Finger Injury Types and Settlements

1. Minor Injuries

Minor injuries like a bruised or pinched finger may keep you off work for a few days. Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance covers the minimal costs of local urgent care.

2. Finger Fractures and Dislocations

Treating fractured or dislocated fingers costs range between $1000 to as much as $5000 if surgery is necessary. Sometimes taping, splinting, pins or rods are needed to stabilize the broken bone.

While the healing may take 4-6 weeks, you may require physical therapy to treat the residual stiffness. Workers’ compensation pays for all of these expenses, including lost wages.

3. Deep Lacerations

Employees with deeply lacerated fingers are usually given a tetanus injection and told to watch for possible infection. Sometimes you may need to consult a hand specialist to prevent long-term damage.

While lacerations without exposed bones take about 6-8 weeks to heal, deep lacerations may require surgery and skin grafts for complete healing.

4. Amputations

Workers compensation for finger amputations depends on:

• Number of fingers involved
• Whether the thumb or finger that was affected
• If the affected digit is partially or fully amputated

Surgery cost here ranges from $20,000 to $60,000, where surgeries for reattaching the severed fingers are more expensive.

Lump-Sum Settlements for Finger Loss

Employees stand to receive specific loss payments in addition to other workers’ compensation benefits. However, workers’ compensation doesn’t include pay for emotional distress, pain, and suffering.

A specific loss here applies to the partial or complete loss of your finger, and each state has its particular loss rating schedule.

Insurers follow the schedule to determine lump-sum payments for employees with amputated body parts. It’s calculated as a multiple of your weekly wage benefit and multiplied with your impairment rating.

Permanent Disability

Sometimes finger injuries may lead to a loss of use and are considered a permanent partial disability. These disabilities don’t render the employee entirely unable to work. While you may not be able to resume your previous job, you may perform another job.

But it’s not always that employers have a suitable job to accommodate your injury. In this case, unless you have a contractual relationship with your employer, you need to find a job elsewhere.

It’s your primary physician or a doctor hired by the insurance company who ascertains your permanent partial disability rating. They consider factors like general health, work skills, age, and education to decide on the rating. And the workers’ comp insurance company considers it before making a settlement offer.

Don’t Hesitate to Get Help

While the settlement is to offset your lost wages, insurance companies pay the bare minimum if you can’t return to your original job. If you aren’t happy with the insurance company’s settlement offer, don’t hesitate to consult your Burbank workers’ compensation attorney.

They will contest the physician’s rating, rating schedulable, and settlement amount.

However, insurance companies constantly strive to pay as little as possible as compensation or may even make mistakes. That’s why you need to check their papers before agreeing to your settlement. Your wage replacement benefit is about 66% of your base pay.

And once it’s locked in, it forms the basis for any later disability settlements.

So, that’s why you must make sure it’s right.

Contact your workers’ compensation lawyer in Burbank if the workers’ comp insurance company won’t explain their calculations or refuse to make corrections.