Workers ‘ compensation provides a financial safety net when you’re hurt at work in Reading. But if your injury results in the permanent loss of a body part or causes permanent disfigurement, you may be entitled to additional compensation called “specific loss benefits.”
These benefits are separate from your regular workers’ compensation coverage. Even if you return to work immediately after your injury, you can still receive specific loss payments that recognize the lifelong impact of losing a body part or function.
If you’ve suffered a permanent injury at work in Reading, contact an experienced Reading workers’ compensation lawyer at Munley Law for a free consultation. We’ve helped Reading workers with their claims for over 65 years and can help you understand whether you qualify for specific loss benefits. Call now to schedule a free consultation.
What Qualifies as a Specific Loss Work Injury?
Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law provides specific loss benefits for permanent injuries that result in the loss of use or amputation of body parts. These benefits cover vision loss in one or both eyes, permanent hearing loss at any level, and amputations of arms, hands, fingers, legs, feet, or toes. In addition, you can qualify for benefits even when the body part remains physically intact but has lost function.
Permanent disfigurement of the face, neck, or head also qualifies for specific loss benefits, including scarring from burns or other traumatic injuries. A key advantage of specific loss benefits is that you can receive them regardless of whether you return to work immediately after your injury. These payments acknowledge the permanent nature of your loss and provide compensation separate from any temporary disability benefits during your recovery period.
How Much Do Specific Loss Benefits Pay in Reading, PA?
The state sets specific time periods for different injuries, and you’ll get about 66% of what you earn per week when you get hurt. Here’s what Reading workers can expect:
- Lost an arm or leg: 410 weeks of payments
- Lost a hand: 335 weeks of payments
- Lost an eye or your vision: 275 weeks of payments
- Lost a foot: 250 weeks of payments
- Lost your thumb: 100 weeks of payments
- Lost a finger: 46 weeks of payments
- Lost your big toe: 38 weeks of payments
- Lost another toe: 16 weeks of payments
If you’ve lost hearing in both ears, that’s 260 weeks of benefits. Hearing loss in just one ear gets you 52 weeks. Remember, these payments come on top of your medical bills being covered and any wage loss benefits you get while you’re recovering.
Common Work Accidents in Reading That Lead to Specific Loss
Reading’s industrial landscape means workers face real risks every day. In our manufacturing plants around the city, workers get hurt by conveyor belts that crush hands and fingers, industrial machines that cause amputations, and chemical spills that burn skin permanently.
Construction sites throughout Berks County also experience serious accidents. Power tools can cause finger and hand amputations, falls can lead to losing limbs or permanent scars, and electrical accidents can cause severe burns. Even in Reading’s warehouses and distribution centers, forklift accidents and loading dock injuries happen more often than they should.
You might think restaurants and retail stores are safer, but not immune. Commercial food slicers in Reading restaurants cause finger and hand amputations regularly. Fryer accidents leave workers with permanent facial or hand scars. Even repetitive motions in these jobs can sometimes lead to permanent problems that qualify for specific loss benefits.
Why Insurance Companies Fight These Claims
Let’s be honest: specific loss benefits cost insurance companies serious money. If you lose a hand, that could mean over $300,000 in payments over time, and that’s just the specific loss benefits, not counting your medical bills or lost wages while you recover.
Because the stakes are so high, insurance companies will look for any reason to deny or reduce your claim. They’ll argue that your injury might improve with treatment, even when doctors say it won’t. They’ll dig up any previous health problems and claim those contributed to your workplace injury.
Insurance companies also love to get technical about the exact medical definitions in the law, hoping to find some technicality that disqualifies you. Most commonly, they’ll offer you a settlement that sounds good upfront but is way less than what you’d get if you held out for your full benefits.
Getting the Benefits You Deserve in Reading
You need solid medical proof that your injury is permanent to win your specific loss claim. This usually means:
Medical Documentation You’ll Need:
- Detailed reports from specialists who can document exactly what you’ve lost
- Tests that show how your injury affects your daily life and work
- Ongoing medical records that prove your condition isn’t going to improve
Legal Steps to Protect Yourself:
- Fighting back when insurance companies try to deny your claim
- Making sure they calculate your benefits correctly based on your actual wages
- Meeting Pennsylvania’s strict deadlines for filing these claims
The legal side gets complicated fast, especially when insurance companies start disputing whether your injury qualifies or is permanent. Knowing the ins and outs of Pennsylvania law and how local judges tend to rule on these cases can make all the difference.
Your Full Workers’ Compensation Rights in Reading
Specific loss benefits are just one piece of the puzzle when you’re hurt at work in Reading. You’re also entitled to have all your medical bills paid, get compensation for wages you lose during recovery, and even get help with job retraining if your injury means you can’t do your old job anymore.
Dealing with a permanent work injury is tough enough without having to fight insurance companies who are trying to pay you as little as possible. Specific loss benefits exist because Pennsylvania recognizes that some workplace injuries change your life forever, but getting these benefits often means going up against well-funded insurance companies with teams of lawyers.
At Munley Law, our board-certified workers’ compensation specialist has been fighting for Reading workers for over 60 years. We know how insurance companies operate, what arguments they’ll use, and how to build a case that gets you every dollar you’re entitled to under Pennsylvania law.
Here’s How We Help Reading Workers:
- We thoroughly evaluate your injury to identify all the benefits you qualify for
- We work with medical experts to document the full extent of your permanent loss
- We take on insurance companies directly when they try to deny or lowball your claim
- We make sure you get the maximum compensation allowed under Pennsylvania law
If you’ve been permanently injured at work in Reading, call us for a free consultation. Our office is right here in Reading at 606 Court St., and we’re available 24/7 to discuss your case. We’ll review your medical records, figure out what your claim is really worth, and explain all your options under Pennsylvania law.
Don’t let insurance companies convince you that your permanent injury isn’t worth much. Get the local legal support you need to secure the full specific loss benefits you deserve as a Reading worker.
