When it comes to injuries that someone sustains at work, many will generally talk about the impact of the injury. How long will it take to heal? What are the chances that an infection will occur? How will the injury impact the way my body functions?
Unfortunately, there are many injuries that will have an impact on an individual for a lifetime. While it may not take a long time for the wound to heal, you could still be left with a disability. Sometimes the biggest impact of the injury will be the scars that you see after the injury.
Scars are typically the result of serious injuries or burns. When the injuries happen at work or because of a work-related activity, could the scarring be covered by workers’ compensation? Generally speaking, if the injury that caused the scarring was covered by workers’ compensation and the injury lead to some loss of function, the scarring that became a result of the injury could be covered.
However, there are some employers who may not alert you that you can receive those benefits for your scarring. An experienced workers’ compensation lawyer will help you become more aware of your options if you have scarring.
Injuries That Can Lead to Scarring
Some of the most common reasons that scarring occurs after injuries are lacerations and burns. However, slips and falls can also result in temporary or permanent scarring. The following workplace accidents can likely lead to scarring that could be covered under the Minnesota Workers’ Compensation Law:
- Gas and oil explosions
- Chemical burns
- Construction or machinery equipment accidents
- Falls from ladders or other high places
Permanent Scarring
Generally, in a burn injury, scars will be very clear and apparent. It can be a significant challenge to treat burn injuries, even after you have gone through the healing process. The scars from your injury will always be a reminder of what happened.
While most scars are a reminder of an injury you sustained while working, some scars can leave you in a significant amount of pain. Scars can also make one feel embarrassed. While some scars may not leave you in a significant amount of pain, scars can still leave a lasting impact on one’s appearance and well-being many years after the injury occurred.
Invisible Scarring
Some scars will not be noticeable. Damage that occurred to your muscles, bones, organs, and other body parts are not always identified, even to trained professionals. We are not able to see damage that was caused by torn muscles or ligaments. Permanent scarring will be left when you need a procedure to repair bones.
If you need surgery on your heart, kidney, or another vital organ, you will also have invisible scarring. Even though you are not able to see the scars left behind, they will remain. These are some of the scars that may cause you the most trouble in the future.
Emotional Scarring
As mentioned earlier, scars may not always lead to physical pain, but they can lead to emotional and mental pain because of the way they can make a person feel. Traumatic injuries can result in serious emotional and mental struggles that can last a lifetime. Specialized treatment and medical care may be needed to help someone return to a life that is not filled with embarrassment or fear.
Scar Treatment
While everyone who suffers scarring as a result of the injury may not be eligible to receive permanent benefits, there is still a possibility that the treatment of the scars can be covered under workers’ compensation. Burns, lacerations, and other injuries that result in scarring could be treated by plastic surgery that can be paid for under the workers’ compensation medical coverage.
Since it is anticipated that you will need serious medical treatment after the injury, many individuals will not receive a great amount of obstacles in trying to obtain medical treatment for the injuries and scars. However, a claims adjuster will not want the costs to continue increasing. This is one of the reasons why it will be so important for you to have an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer on your side to ensure that you receive the proper coverage.
In many workers’ compensation cases involving burns and other injuries that lead to scars, an important factor is the psychological impact of the injury. Since everyone’s workers’ compensation case may not compensate an employee for scars or disfigurement, it is important to have an experienced law team on your side that will fight for the benefits you are seeking.
Your Scars and Workers’ Compensation
Scarring can be a major factor in your workers’ compensation case. A scar can have a major impact on the benefits you receive because of the role it will play in your disability rating. If you were hurt and the resulting scars were deep enough to cause you to lose some function in your body, you could receive permanent disability benefits based on the percentage of function you no longer have.
For each body part, there will be a separate schedule that will address the permanent disability entitlement.
While we know that healing physical wounds and scars are not part of our resume, we can help you receive the compensation you may be entitled to. The skilled attorneys at Patterson Dahlberg Injury Lawyers know how to handle cases that are centered around injuries that result in scars, even the scars that everyone else cannot see.
Contact us today for a free case consultation. We will hold your best interests and your feelings in the highest regard. We welcome the privilege of providing help to those who have been injured or those whose loved ones have been injured on the job. We hope to relieve you from some of the pain and burdens you have been experiencing at this time.
If you want to know if you have a case, we can help you work through the benefits and limitations for scarring in workers’ compensation benefits in Minnesota. Contact Patterson Dahlberg Injury lawyers today at 507-424-3000 or complete our online form.