Qualifying for compensation with a total or partial disability

Dealing with an injury and all that comes with it is difficult enough. Where will you get medical treatment? How will you function around the house? Who will take care of the kids? How will you earn an income?

These are questions that will undoubtedly come to mind as you progress through the aftermath of a debilitating injury. The good news is that you can qualify for compensation whether you are totally or partially disabled.

The North Carolina Workers’ Compensation Act defines a total disability as any of the following:

• the loss of any two limbs including the eyes
• spinal injury causing paralysis
• severe brain or head injury
• second or third degree burns affecting at least 33 percent of the body

Partial disability, on the other hand, involves injuries such as the loss of a finger, loss of hearing, loss of only one limb, loss of vision in one eye, and others. The Act also attaches monetary values to some of the specific partial disabilities in order to give the injured worker an idea of how much compensation may be afforded.

It is not possible in a summary blog post to include an exhaustive list of every possible partial disability. It may be difficult to quantify certain injuries to your neck, back, or shoulder. Further, certain injuries affect certain jobs more than others; for example, perhaps you injured your legs but can still perform work at a desk. These are all things to keep in mind when assessing the severity of your injury.

You would not be well served to automatically decide that your injury is not serious enough and risk losing out on valuable compensation. An experienced Charlotte work injury attorney could provide some insight into the severity of your injury and how much compensation you may be entitled to.