Michigan Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ Compensation in Michigan is handled by the Workers’ Compensation Agency. That office is part of Michigan’s Department of Energy, Labor, and Economic Growth. The office is located in Dimondale, though the mailing address is actually in Lansing. (For all of you non-Michigan people, Lansing is located halfway between Detroit and Grand Rapids.) The Michigan workers comp website can be found here: MI Workers’ Comp.
Estimate the Value of a Workers’ Comp Claim in Michigan
The Michigan workers’ comp website has a program that allows for the calculation of workers’ comp benefits. It is up-to-date. In order to estimate the value of MI comp claims, you must know the various kinds of benefits. They are medical, temporary, permanent, death, and vocational rehab.
Temporary
In MI, temp benefits are served by wage loss benefits. They are paid at a rate of 80% of the after tax value of the employee’s lost wages. If all wages are lost, the injured worker gets 80% of their after tax average weekly wage. The maximum is 90% of the state average weekly wage, the minimum is 25% of the state average weekly wage.
Permanent
Permanent disability benefits are calculated based on specific loss or based on total and permanent disability. Total disability (effectively never able to work again, therefore receives benefits to make up for this) arises when an injured worker:
- Loses sight in both eyes
- Loses both legs or feet
- Loses both arms or hands
- Loses two extremities
- Paralysis of the above
- Insanity
- Loss of “industrial use” of the above
Note: the injuries must come from work related injuries. If there are injuries not as severe as total and complete loss, the benefits are for specific loss. For example, if you lose your thumb, you receive 65 weeks of compensation. The full table of specific loss is below:
Thumb 65
1st Finger 38
2nd Finger 33
3rd Finger 22
4th Finger 16
Great Toe 33
Other Toes 11
Hand 215
Arm 269
Foot 162
Leg 215
Eye 162
Death, Medical, and Vocational Rehab benefits are best determined by speaking to a Michigan workers’ comp lawyer.
Good MI Comp Lawyers can Estimate the Value of Workers’ Comp Benefits
One of the characteristics of a good MI Workers’ Comp Lawyer is the ability to estimate your benefits. The reason a good comp lawyer can do this is experience. If a lawyer tells you they cannot estimate comp benefits, they do not have the required experience to handle you claim.
