A permanent or debilitating injury – one in which a worker cannot be returned to an earlier condition of health, such as a traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, mesothelioma or other cancers, severe burns or other forms of devastating injury – should be managed by a legal professional with a great depth of knowledge of workers’ compensation law in New York. Some cases will require getting compensation from The Second Injury Fund. State law allows that under certain conditions, compensation can be accessed through this fund, also called the Special Disability Fund.
The management of serious injury claims with workers’ compensation is important with regard to the outcome for the injured and their families. A catastrophic injury results in permanent changes to the abilities of the victim. Whether the injury is related to long term toxic exposure, a construction accident such as a ladder fall, equipment failure, electrocution or other situation, it is important that the injured victim has the right to all forms of compensation fully protected.
The costs involved in treating a serious injury, as well as rehabilitation and ongoing nursing care or other medical needs will range into the hundreds of thousands of dollars within the first year, in many cases. The injured person may be unable to function at all, or may have lost cognitive abilities, physical abilities or have contracted a serious or fatal disease through exposure to toxic substances.
At Katz, Leidman, Freund & Herman, the accomplished legal team protects the rights of workers who have suffered a catastrophic injury.