Knee and Foot Injury Compensation

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An ankle, foot or knee injury at work are commonly referred to as a scheduled injury claim. The workers’ compensation statutes contain a schedule, or a list, of body parts with a certain number of weeks assigned to them.

The schedule says the loss of a foot is compensated on the basis of 150 weeks; the loss of knee (leg) on the basis of 220; and so forth, dealing with the toes of the feet.

Typically, at the end of a healing period involving a scheduled injury, a physician provides an impairment rating. This rating is then applied to the respective scheduled loss basis to determine the number of weeks owed to the injured worker as compensation for the permanent injury.

Let’s say a knee injury at work results in a 2% impairment rating by a physician. Because the value of a total loss of a leg is 220 weeks, a two percent loss is equivalent to 4.4 weeks of benefits. Typically, the insurance company will then initiate workers’ compensation benefits for an additional 4.4 weeks based upon the physician’s impairment rating.

While this basis of compensation seems to be straightforward, it may be in your best interest to review the issue–as well as other workers’ compensation issues–with a knowledgeable attorney. The experienced workers’ compensation attorneys at Wertz Law Firm will review your claim to make sure you are being compensated to the full extent provided by Iowa law.