Missouri Workers Compensation Permanent Partial and Total Disability

You must ensure you receive adequate worker’s comp benefits that will allow you to support yourself your entire life or until you can find another job.

Some injured workers are fortunate enough to recover after a workplace injury fully. Once the injury or accident receives adequate treatment and the worker is healed, they can return to work and resume activities as if nothing happened.

This is the best-case scenario, but some injured workers in Missouri may not be so fortunate. For some, a workplace injury can leave a lasting mark on their lives and completely change them forever.

Workplace Injuries and Permanent Disability

When an injury can’t be completely healed and permanently affects your body, that is legally known as a ‘permanent disability.’ Workers’ comp benefits will cover the medical costs you need, but some injuries may be impossible to heal fully.

Your worker’s comp doctor that administers the treatment will generally decide when you reach the maximum medical improvement, which is a term used to describe a case in which, medically speaking, the injury or condition can reasonably no longer improve through treatment. For most people, an MMI means they can return to work, while for others, it may mean permanent disability.

There are two types of PD:

Permanent total disability – in this case, it means you are entirely unable to work again because your condition is severe and debilitated. For example, a PTD would be a complete loss of sight or loss of both legs.

Permanent partial disability – in this case, you may still be able to work some jobs, but not the ones you used to have. For instance, if you break your arm, it heals, but you lose some strength and cannot grip or lift objects; that’s PPD. You may be able to work specific jobs, but if your previous employment was physically demanding, you’ll likely not be able to resume it.

How Worker’s Comp Can Help

Workers comp has provisions in place to help injured workers who’ve been disabled due to their job, whether their disability is permanent or temporary.

If you have a permanent total disability, you will continue to receive worker’s comp benefits for the rest of your life, as this disability completely prevents you from working ever again. People with permanent partial disability will also receive benefits based on the severity of their disability. Even if these benefits aren’t designed for a lifetime, they can provide some financial support until you find a form of employment more suitable for your condition.

Why Speak With a Lawyer?

No matter what kind of disability you have, it’s fair to say your life has been changed forever. As a result, you need to ensure you receive adequate worker’s comp benefits that will allow you to support yourself your entire life or until you find another job. To ensure your legal rights are protected right from the start of your claim, it is in your best interests to speak with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney.