If you have bodily injury, I am a personal injury attorney that can review your case. As we drive on our streets, highways, interstate systems, and other roadways, the majority of us are actually quite careful, but negligence by someone else can change your life forever especially in any type of accident such as car, truck, motorcycle, boat or some other type of automobile accident. Oftentimes, drivers slow down to look to see if they can see what happened on the side of the road when there is an accident, but truly rarely knows what actually happened. In more dangerous accidents assuming they are not fatal, many humans lose their arms or legs. This doesn’t only happen in car accidents, it also happens with dangerous machinery during work if one isn’t careful. Let’s take a look at how much your limbs are worth if this unfortunate event happens to you or has happened. You can contact us for more!
Injury Starting with Arms
The national average for losing one arm is just under $170,000. Florida runs slightly higher than this where the highest one can be paid for a lost limb is just under $187,000. Congress has ruled that each state gets to decide this number and there are vast differences between states. For example, Nevada has the most generous compensation which is over $840,000 and Alabama the least generous which is around $45,000, which is ridiculous. Even though Florida is above the national average, it is still a low number, especially if you are unable to work the rest of your life. These compensation benefits above are if that you lose an arm on the job for workers compensation.
One of the main problems with this is that insurance companies do not care about you; they care about protecting their financial assets. Companies also complain that they give better benefits in other areas and breaking a limb apparently isn´t so important. Another huge problem as mentioned above is that states choose. There was a case in Alabama where two workers accidently had their arms amputated by machinery and one of the workers lived in Georgia and the other Alabama, the one in Georgia receiving much better benefits and being able to live his life with some dignity. The man in Alabama received a small compensation and because the compensation is less money than his job, he lost nearly everything and has been having a rough time since. Luckily, Florida is currently higher than the national average, but lawyers and judges need to fight for better compensation as even in Florida, a lost limb will actually make you lose money over time, which obviously doesn’t pay for health care as well. This is exactly why you need a personal injury attorney.
Bodily Injury With Legs
So what happens if you lose your leg on the job? According to Florida, arms are more important than legs and your highest possible compensation is just over $110,000. This amount is under the national average, which is slightly over $153,000.
Losing an arm or a leg on the job is much different than if being in an accident. Losing a limb on the job already has a set amount you can be compensated, but remember, the highest amount may not be the amount you earn. It could depend on a variety of factors including your income from your job. If you are in an accident and lose a limb, there are also things to consider. For example, if the loss of a limb will affect your future income as far as not being able to work or provide the duties you previously performed, compensation can be increased. Other factors can include your age, your lifestyle changes, those who you are suing, whether it is a person or company, and of course, what state you live in. You have a much better chance of decent compensation after an automobile accident than you do with workers compensation. Hopefully, we can change this in the near future.
You know the old cliché when you see something expensive that it will cost and arm and a leg? Well that cliché should never be said again as apparently in the state of Florida and definitely Alabama, arms and legs are relatively cheap. There is actually a chart that tells you how much each one of your limbs cost. Now remember, the numbers I have given so far are for one arm and one leg, not both.
Hands
Hands and fingers have their own set of figures when it comes to compensation. Like arms, Florida is above national average when it comes to compensation with hands, with the national average rounding at around $145,000 and Florida rounding at around $163,500. What about fingers and toes? Are they above or below the national average in Florida? Let´s find out.
Fingers
Which finger is most important to you? There is actually a compensation for each finger, not just one finger being equal. Fingers are figured as the following.
Thumb – The national average is slightly more than $42,000, whereas Florida compensation is almost equal.
Index Finger – The national average is more than $24,000 with Florida being $10,000 less rounding it at around $14,000.
Middle Finger – The national average is barely under $21,000 while Florida comes In the same as the index finger at around $14,000. One would think the middle finger would be worth more since it has more meanings including a vulgar one.
Ring Finger – The national average is just under $15,000 and Florida´s compensation is a measly dab over $6,000. The states should at least add in the price of the wedding ring since you can’t wear it correctly anymore.
Pinky – In Florida, the pinky finger has equal value to the ring finger being slightly over $6,000 with the national average coming in a little more than $11,000.
Feet
Are toes just as important as fingers? No, probably because each finger has a name and function whereas the toes on a foot are nameless; well except the big toe. And yes, the big toe gets compensation. Your big toe is not as important as it is in other states as the national average is just above $23,000 and Florida reeks at just above $6,000. Ouch! Definitely take care of that big toe because Florida thinks it is basically worth nothing. So, what about the foot? Florida´s compensation is a few dollars over $65,000 and much lower than the national average which is a little lower than $92,000.
An arm and leg are considered extremities, which in turn are considered limbs. Appendages are also extremities, which include the hands, fingers, feet, and toes as well. Ears are included as appendages; and therefore we will include them as limbs because they also do have merit in workers compensation. However according to the chart, Florida has “not available” listed.
So, this is what Florida thinks. If you lose all the body parts above including both arms, legs, hands, and feet as well as all fingers, and the big toe, Florida can barely make you a millionaire at $1,139,000 rounded off. You will easily spend this amount of money in your lifetime. So what it comes down to is that laws in Florida helps insurance companies and your business, not you and obviously laws should be helping you, not the other way around. Attorneys often put out this information on ads about insurance companies not being on your side and they are right.
This human body chart compensations can be found at projects.propublica.org if you want to take a look at other states information.
Although each state has its determination of what each limb cost, you must understand that a personal injury lawyer can fight for other benefits as well trying to reach the highest amount possible for every situation, but with states being set in their ways, this is a difficult process. Things do change though if you can prove it is the fault of your company and not an accident. Even in the past few years, Florida has managed to lower its compensation payouts due to harmful injuries.
What is the cost of a limb?
If you lose a limb, you might want a prosthetic limb so you can continue to do the job you were doing or in at least case make you just as mobile. Prosthetic limbs can cost up to $50,000. You can get them much cheaper of course, but it depends on how long they might last because even the best made prosthetic legs only last around 3 years from wear and tear. So let’s take this in consideration. If you lose a leg in Florida, the highest possible compensation you can receive is $110,000. Let’s say you have a relatively inexpensive prosthetic leg, which you bought at $10,000. You lose $10,000 for every three years that you lost your leg, which would eventually equal 0 or negative compensation. Remember the guy in Alabama that lost his arm? He would pretty much have no chance of affording any prosthetics.
How can you protect yourself from losing a limb at work?
We all become clumsy from time to time, but working with any type of heavy equipment whether you are carrying something heavy, using wood chippers, chainsaws, you just need to always follow proper procedures and not let your mind drift away even for a second. Every workplace has manuals. Losing a limb happens far too often and it doesn´t need to happen to you. As you can see above, losing a limb will cost you more down the road than the unfair compensation benefits Florida gives workers. Wear the safety equipment that your employer provides, from proper gloves to proper shoes. It is there for your protection so use it.
Vehicular Accidents
There are methods you can take to prevent vehicular accidents, but not all can be prevented. You have the possibility of receiving more money for a lost limb in a vehicle accident because you can blame the accident on another driver; sue them or their insurance company because they were negligent, not because you caused your own accident. This type of accident, however, may take a little longer to resolve then workers compensation accidents. There have been many cases where trucks or cars have hit motorcyclists who have lost a limb and received more than a million dollars. There are better variables with accidents than workers compensation.
If you have had bodily injury due to workers compensation or due to a vehicular accident or really any accident, call our personal injury lawyers at the Law Office of Frederic E. Waczewski, P.A. We will help you in every way possible to achieve the highest amount possible so you can live a life without worry. Call us today for more information at 407) 999-4957.