indemnity benefits Archives - Workers' Compensation Defense

March 14, 2019 General / New York

How Does it Work? Incarceration and Workers’ Compensation Benefits

The incarceration of a claimant receiving workers’ compensation benefits can be used as a defense to payment of indemnity benefits based on two similar, but distinct, arguments.

In general, where the carrier has been directed to pay workers compensation indemnity benefits by the New York Workers’ Compensation Board, the carrier may only suspend indemnity benefits unilaterally (without a new direction from the board) in certain circumstances. Per 12 NYCRR Section 300.23(b)(3)(iv), the carrier is allowed to suspend with proof of the claimant’s incarceration upon conviction …

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 …