What is the Average Workers Comp Settlement Amount For Finger Injuries?
Generally, if you are able to return to work after sustaining a hand injury, you can expect to receive a settlement of $15,000-$35,000. If your injuries prevent you from working or result in further injuries, however, settlements typically increase to $55,000-$85,000 or more. Additionally, public safety employees such as police officers and firefighters often see even higher settlement amounts.
Generally, hand injuries that affect the thumb, index, and middle fingers receive higher settlements than those involving the little or ring fingers. You can compare my figures for workers’ compensation settlements related to finger and hand injuries against data from the Workers Compensation Statistical Plan database provided by the National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI). The NCCI’s data is based on claims filed in several states and shows that, on average, total worker’s compensation costs (including medical expenses and indemnity benefits) for hand/finger/wrist injuries add up to $23,720.00 – $13,765.00 for medical expenses alone and $9355.00 when factoring in indemnity benefits.
Calculating Permanent Impairment and Disability For Finger Injuries
The Workers Compensation Act establishes maximum values for permanent partial disability benefits for injuries to the fingers, hands, and arms. If you have experienced an injury at work that has resulted in loss or impairment of the use of a hand or finger, you may be eligible to receive compensation up to the following amount:
- Arm Injury: 200 weeks of compensation
- Hand Injury: 150 weeks of compensation
- Thumb Injury: 60 weeks of compensation
- First Finger (Index Finger) Injury: 35 weeks of compensation
- Second Finger (Middle Finger) Injury: 30 weeks of compensation
- Third Finger (Ring Finger) Injury: 20 weeks of compensation
- Fourth Finger (Pinkie) Injury: 15 weeks of compensation
When you suffer an amputation injury that causes the loss of your first knuckle (the phalanx) on your thumb or finger, you are only eligible to receive half the amount of money as if you had lost the entire thumb or finger. In numerous instances, it is advantageous to get a permanent impairment rating for your hand or arm, even if you injured a single finger at work. Such an injury can cause great difficulty and significantly impair one’s ability to utilize their whole hand; oftentimes causing them to lose function in their entire arm. There are many nuances that determine a workers comp finger injury settlement, that’s why it’s critical to have an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in your corner.
Common Work-Related Finger Injuries
Finger Dislocations
Dislocated fingers at work are unfortunately quite common, but depending on the intensity of the ligament tearing, surgery may be a necessary next step. The most common type of finger joint dislocation is PIP joint dislocation. Dislocations of the MCP joint most frequently happen in the thumbs. The recommended course of action is splinting and building up strength again. Sudden trauma is usually the source of DIP joint dislocations. They often come with fractures or soft tissue damage as well.
Skin Injuries
The skin on your hand is unordinary in that the palm side has a thick complexity of nerves while the backside is thinner and more elastic. If there were to ever be an injury on the palm, it would likely heal because of its nerve supply. Although you may have a loss of healthy skin texture, affecting sensation and gripping ability. An injury on the back of the hand usually results in scarring which then could restrict the movement of extensor tendons requiring either a skin graft or flap cover.
Fingertip Injuries
Work-related fingertip injuries often result in long-term damage and disability, especially for manual laborers. The fingertip is packed with nerve endings and has specialized skin. An injury to the tip of the finger may cause numbness, tingling, and reduced sensation. If the injury causes a neuroma, your ability to use the entire finger can be lessened by pain,” affecting your grip strength.
The nails actually serve many crucial functions. They protect and support the pulp on our fingers, assist us in picking up small objects, and add an extra layer of defense against external injuries. Unfortunately, when we injure our nails, it hinders our ability to complete delicate tasks and often leads to deformation. In some cases, the deformity is so severe that it limits your job capability or causes additional pain from things constantly catching on the sensitive area.
Nerve Injuries in the Fingers
A nerve injury often causes long-term damage. If you want to get a fair settlement for your finger injury case, have a professional assess which nerves are damaged. An injury to a digital nerve in the upper extremities may cause moderate disability or even lifelong impairments. These areas are particularly sensitive, so it’s understandable that damage done here would have more serious consequences than an injury to another area with less sensation. It often takes six months or longer for full recovery, and there will be some residual effects.
A laceration of the median or ulnar nerve is the most severe hand injury. One study found that out of workers with this nerve injury, a full quarter never returned to their jobs. Recovery may last anywhere from one year to two years, but in some cases, it could be permanent.
Finger Amputations
Sadly, amputation injuries of the hands and fingers are not uncommon in workers’ compensation claims. These types of accidents usually happen in construction sites involving manufacturing plant equipment such as electric saws, hammers, and other machinery.
Amputations of the hand can be sorted by which side of the hand is affected: the sensory or power side. The former includes the thumb, index, and middle fingers while the latter consists of just the ring and little fingers. When you lose sensation in your thumb, index finger, or middle finger through amputation, it becomes harder to do activities that require a light touch. If you have an amputation on your ring or pinky finger this will decrease grip strength.
Burn Injuries to the Fingers
Out of all body parts, burns on the hands are unfortunately quite frequent. The most typical cases I see usually involve car accidents, fires, and chemical spills. Additionally, the cause of the burn typically dictates how severe the burn injury is. For example, electric burns almost always inflict more harm than burns caused by hot water.
There are often many factors that are overlooked when calculating a fair settlement value for a burn injury. Make sure you consider the need for a skin graft, the length of time it takes for a skin graft to mature, and the long-term complications of the procedure when evaluating your case.
Gamekeeper’s Thumb
A gamekeeper’s thumb is a rupture of the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) which is located on the palm side of the thumb. The ligament plays an important role because it helps with pinching movements. Unfortunately, this injury often happens when someone falls and jams their thumb backward onto a hard surface while they are trying to catch themselves. Sometimes surgery is required in order to fix the problem.
Contact Our Maryland Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Today
At the Law Office of Hyatt & Goldbloom, we are dedicated to protecting the rights and interests of injured employees in Maryland. With experienced legal guidance, workers can utilize the tools available to them in order to recover from their injuries and return to work. We have a Baltimore workers’ compensation lawyer on staff 24/7 who is happy to answer any questions or concerns you may have about workplace injuries – new, existing, or former.
