How much is a Work-Related Hand Injury Worth?
Between January 1, 2011, and June 30, 2012, hands were the fourth most frequently injured body part at work in Maryland, according to the Comp Pinkbook. During that period, there were 1,125 awards for hand injuries, totaling over $11.4 million paid to workers with hand injuries. The average Permanent Partial Disability (“PPD”) award was $9,835 for a hand injury. The average Settlement award was $11,548 for a hand injury.
Hand injuries sometimes occur in conjunction with injuries to another body part. Common hand injury combinations include injuries to fingers, wrists, or arms. The following table lists average awards, number of awards and average percentages of disablement for common hand injuries in Maryland:
|
INJURY |
AVERAGE AWARD |
# OF AWARDS |
AVERAGE % DISABLEMENT |
|
Hand(s) + Arm(s) |
$18,484 |
59 awards |
10.09% hand(s) 9.86% arm(s) |
|
Hand(s) + Wrist(s) |
$16,146 |
85 awards |
15.67% hand(s) 3.00% wrist(s) |
|
Wrist(s) only |
$10,757 |
429 awards |
14.75% |
|
Hand(s) only |
$10,202 |
1,125 awards |
14.66% |
|
1st Finger/Index Finger only |
$7,346 |
159 awards |
28.55% |
|
Thumb(s) only |
$6,534 |
209 awards |
18.11% |
|
4th Finger/Little Finger only |
$4,935 |
82 awards |
28.86% |
|
3rd Finger/Ring Finger only |
$4,818 |
90 awards |
27.29% |
|
2nd Finger/Middle Finger only |
$3,995 |
112 awards |
28.25% |
Our Maryland Workers’ Compensation Calculator can give you anestimated value of your work-related hand injury. Keep in mind, however, that the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Calculator can provide only a rough estimate. There are numerous factors go into determining the value of a hand injury case. No two workers’ comp cases are the same, just as no two hand injuries are the same.
Some of the questions that can help determine the value of a hand injury in workers’ comp:
- Was hand surgery necessary to fix the hand injury?
- What, if any, other bodies parts were injured with the hand?
- Was therapy needed to regain proper use of the hand?
- Will there be permanent damage to the hand?
The last question – the issue of permanent damage to the hand – is probably the most important question. If there was substantial injury to the hand for which complete use will never be regained, that’s a substantial case. Seek a workers’ comp attorney immediately. You should seek counsel in any comp case, but especially when permanency exists.
(Rated: 3.33
Loading...