Suffering the loss of a body part is utterly devastating and can affect your physical abilities for the rest of your life. If you’ve sustained an injury at work that has caused permanent loss of functionality, you are entitled to compensation. Under Pennsylvania workers’ compensation law, work injury victims that endure such crushing losses are entitled to specific loss benefits.

Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Specific Loss

Specific loss benefits can be awarded for a variety of injuries, including:

• Amputation
• Permanent loss of use of a body part
• Vision loss
• Hearing loss
• Disfigurement

In order to qualify for specific loss benefits, the following criteria must be met:

• The injury must have occurred in the course and scope of employment
• Notice of the injury must be given to the employer within 120 days
• The specific loss claim must be filed within three years of the date of the injury

If your injury has caused you to miss time at work, you may also be able to collect benefits for this additional “healing period.” But while Pennsylvania workers’ compensation payments for total disability are adjusted based on the working ability of the injured employee, lost wages do not affect compensation for specific loss. In other words, injured workers may be able to collect specific loss benefits even if their injuries are not disabling and have not prevented them from working. However, a specific loss payment may exclude payment of other benefits, including those for lost wages, so it’s important to consult an experienced Pennsylvania workers’ compensation lawyer to ensure that you receive the maximum compensation for your injury.