The Cost Of An Arm And A Leg: Payment For Permanent Partial Disability In Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Cases
When a person goes to work the last thing they likely think about is potentially losing a finger, a limb, or one of their five senses. However, workplaces can be dangerous places, and workers in Mississippi and throughout the United States are frequently injured on the job. Some of the worst workplace accidents can result in permanent disability or even death, but what happens if a person suffers a permanent partial disability as a result of a workplace accident? While Mississippi workers’ compensation laws provide a rubric for estimating workers’ compensation benefits, it can be difficult for workers to determine how much they might expect to receive, due to the complex nature of the law and the Mississippi workers’ compensation system.
Benefits for Injured Workers under Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Laws
Mississippi workers’ compensation laws entitle injured workers to a number of different benefits if they are injured on the job and unable to work. Depending on a number of factors, typically those benefits include wage replacement payments (money paid to an injured worker in lieu of their usual wage to compensate them while they are not able to work), medical expenses (payment of necessary medical costs related to the workplace injury), and rehabilitation and training. If a person suffers from a permanent disability or a permanent partial disability, workers in Mississippi are also entitled to compensation for the loss of body part or function. Under Mississippi workers’ compensation laws, the amount of money a worker is eligible to receive for a permanent partial disability is dictated by statute, based on the type of loss or disability.
“Permanent Partial Disability” under Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Laws
Simply put, a “Permanent Partial Disability” (PPD) occurs when a workplace injury results in a partial, yet permanent, loss of use of a part of the body. Under the Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Law, “…in case of disability partial in character but permanent in quality, the compensation shall be sixty-six and two thirds percent (66-2/3%) of the average weekly wages of the injured employee, subject to the statutory limitations as to weekly benefits set up in this chapter, which shall be paid in accordance with…this section….” The statute then lists a number of different “member losses” (parts of the body that have been lost due to the workplace injury), and a corresponding number of weeks of payment for that loss. For example, loss of an arm entitles a worker to 200 weeks of compensation, while loss of an eye entitles a worker to 100 weeks of compensation. A leg is 175 weeks; a hand 150 weeks; and a great toe 30 weeks. In sum, under Mississippi workers’ compensation laws, a permanent partial disability entitles a worker to a portion of their pre-injury compensation per week for as many weeks as the law prescribes depending on the particular loss.
Determining Your Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Although Mississippi workers’ compensation laws provide the statutory authority for how much a person may be entitled to for a permanent partial disability, the law is complex and the uniqueness of each case can make it hard for a worker to determine an amount with precision on their own. If you have been injured on the job and you are interested in learning about your entitlement to Mississippi workers’ compensation benefits, it is best to speak with an experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyer about your rights and next steps. The experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyers at Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC, offer a free and confidential consultation to learn about your case and to see if they can help. Contact the lawyers at Lunsford Baskin & Priebe today to speak to a lawyer for free.
