If a work injury results in the permanent loss of a limb, loss of vision or hearing, or serious disfigurement, Pennsylvania workers’ compensation provides an additional category of benefits called specific loss — separate from and on top of your standard wage and medical coverage. Munley Law workers’ compensation attorney Robert Munley III explains who qualifies and how these benefits work in this Fox56 “Making the Case” segment.
If a work injury results in the loss of a limb, permanent disfigurement, or the permanent inability to use a body part, Pennsylvania workers’ compensation provides an additional category of benefits called specific loss — on top of standard wage and medical coverage.
What Qualifies as a Specific Loss in Pennsylvania?
Specific loss benefits apply when the damage from a work injury is permanent and irreversible. Examples include:
- Amputation or permanent loss of use of a limb (arm, leg, hand, foot, finger, or toe)
- Permanent loss of vision or hearing
- Permanent and serious disfigurement of the head, face, or neck
- Permanent loss of use of specific body parts
What Makes Specific Loss Different Than a Workers’ Compensation Clam
Specific loss benefits are paid in addition to your standard wage loss and medical benefits — they’re a separate category, not a replacement for them. And critically, a worker who returns to work early or never missed work at all is still entitled to specific loss benefits if a qualifying permanent injury occurred. These benefits exist to acknowledge that a permanent physical loss has real, lasting value even when it doesn’t stop you from working.
The amount you receive depends on which body part was affected, the extent of the permanent loss, and the specific facts of your injury. Pennsylvania law assigns a specific number of weeks of compensation for each type of specific loss — for example, loss of a hand is valued differently than loss of a finger.
If you’ve suffered a permanent injury at work, an attorney can evaluate whether a specific loss claim applies and what it’s worth under Pennsylvania law.
Injured at work in Pennsylvania? Call Munley Law for a free workers’ compensation consultation. No fee unless we win.
