Schedule Loss of Use Archives - Workers' Compensation Defense

January 6, 2020 Medical Expenses / Schedule Loss of Use

New Attachment for Schedule Loss of Use Stipulations

There are two types of permanency evaluations:

Schedule awards for the impairment of extremities, vision loss, hearing loss, or facial disfigurement
Non-schedule classification as a permanent partial or total disability.

On October 4, 2019, in subject number 046-1211, the Board issued specific circumstances where a new attachment must be used when stipulating to schedule loss of use and non-schedule sites are also involved.

The new stipulation must be used in three situations:

When there is no medical report from either party regarding the established non-schedule

September 9, 2019 New York / Schedule Loss of Use

Schedule Loss of Use Award or Classification? Litigation Trends Following Taher

On June 14, 2018, the Third Department of the New York State Appellate Division issued the decision Matter of Taher v. Yiota Taxi. In Taher, the Third Department addressed the question of whether a claimant may receive both a schedule loss of use (SLU) award and classification arising out of the same work-related injury at the time of permanency. Ultimately, the Third Department held that a claimant cannot receive both a SLU award and be classified with a loss of wage earning capacity at …

April 22, 2019 Disability Benefits / permanent partial disability / Permanent Total Disability / Schedule Loss of Use

SLU or Not to SLU- That is the Question

Claimants may be entitled to schedule loss of use (SLU) awards for permanent injuries sustained to arms, legs, hands, feet, eyes, fingers, and toes, known as “schedule injuries.” Injuries sustained to the head, neck, and back, known as “nonscheduled injuries,” are typically subject to classification of a permanent partial disability (PPD) or permanent total disability (PTD), based on loss of wage earning capacity. An issue arises when a claimant has injuries to schedule and nonscheduled sites.

In 2018, the New York State Supreme Court Appellate …

April 22, 2019 Disability Benefits / Schedule Loss of Use

Getting the Most From the Labor Market Attachment

In New York State, the minimum requirements for the labor market attachment provide a truly low hurdle for a claimant to jump over. Rather than actually attempt to find gainful employment, a claimant usually needs to simply go through the motions: go to a one-stop career center a few times, apply to a handful of jobs each week online, or otherwise spend less than an hour each week trying to find work. So long as there is at least a colorable attempt to find work, …

March 4, 2019 Schedule Loss of Use / Settlement

A Claimant’s Prioritization Towards Settlement

From the inception of a workers’ compensation claim, it is moving towards its conclusion, be that classification, a schedule loss of use award, or a settlement. A defense attorney will be working to move the claim towards an ideal conclusion reducing the exposure of their client. A claimant, however, will have other, often unpredictable, goals to their workers’ compensation claim.

A claimant will, by nature, focus on only aspects of their workers’ compensation claim. While the system can provide a comprehensive variety of benefits, awards, …

February 25, 2019 New York / Schedule Loss of Use

Symptom Magnification and Schedule Loss of Use

In New York, work-related injuries to an extremity, such as the hands, arms, legs, fingers or toes, often result in awards associated with a permanent impairment of said extremity. Under the Workers’ Compensation Law, an injured worker may be entitled to monetary benefits for such an impairment, which are referred to as awards for schedule loss of use.

A claimant bears the initial burden of producing a medical opinion to pursue awards for schedule loss of use. This is accomplished by having his or her …

February 16, 2018 New York / Schedule Loss of Use

New York Sets Boundaries: How to Calculate Schedule Loss of Use of the Shoulder in 2018

The New York Appellate Division has provided direction on what constitutes an improper calculation of the schedule loss of use of a shoulder. In Matter of Maloney v. Wende Correctional Facility, 2018 WL 456207 (January 18, 2013), the claimant injured his right shoulder as a result of a work related accident on July 30, 2013. The claimant’s treating physician rendered a permanency finding of 90 percent schedule loss of use of the right arm. The employer and the insurance carrier, collectively “the employer”, obtained …

September 7, 2017 New York / Schedule Loss of Use

The Essentials: Proposed New York 2018 Schedule Loss Guidelines

On September 1, 2017, the New York Workers’ Compensation Board issued draft guidelines and regulatory changes for 2018. The guidelines are intended to revamp the schedule process to align with modern medical practices. The drafts of both the guidelines and regulations appear to include possible errors, omissions, and ambiguities.

Click here for a brief overview of the new proposed SLU process and for an idea of what to expect if the new guidelines are adopted.…