A serious workplace injury can leave you wondering what benefits you’re owed and for how long. If you’ve reached maximum medical improvement (MMI), you may qualify for a Schedule Loss of Use (SLU) award. This is a one-time payment based on the permanent impact to your injured body part.
Our Ossining Workers’ Compensation lawyer can tell you whether you qualify and what your award could be worth. At O’Connor Law, we help injured workers across New York get the benefits the system says they’re owed.
We know how insurers value these awards and how they try to reduce them. We’re on your side from the first call to the final hearing.
A schedule loss of use lawyer in Ossining can make a real difference in your outcome. SLU awards can be worth tens of thousands of dollars, and every percentage point matters. Don’t face this process alone.
What Is a Schedule Loss of Use Award in New York?
An SLU award is a one-time payment issued after you reach maximum medical improvement and a permanent impairment rating is determined.
It’s designed to compensate you for the permanent loss of function in a scheduled body part. The New York Workers’ Compensation Board (WCB) assigns each scheduled body part a fixed number of weeks that sets the maximum value of your award.
SLU awards apply to injuries affecting the arms, hands, legs, feet, shoulders, knees, and certain other body parts. They are paid separately from the wage replacement benefits you may have already received during your recovery. Certain wage benefits previously paid for the same injury may be credited against the final SLU award.
Common injuries that qualify for SLU awards include:
- Torn rotator cuffs and shoulder injuries
- Knee injuries, including ACL and meniscus tears
- Bicep tears and elbow injuries
- Hip injuries requiring surgical repair
- Arm, hand, and leg orthopedic injuries
How Your SLU Award Is Calculated
Your SLU award is based on three factors: the body part injured, your percentage of permanent loss, and your average weekly wage (AWW).
The WCB assigns each scheduled body part a maximum number of weeks. Your award equals the maximum weeks multiplied by your percentage of loss, then multiplied by two-thirds of your AWW.
Your AWW is calculated using your earnings over the 52 weeks before your injury. If you worked overtime or held more than one job, those wages may be included. An accurate AWW calculation is critical to getting a fair award, and errors in this calculation are more common than most workers realize.
The SLU process only begins after you reach MMI, which is the point where your doctor says your condition has stabilized. Your doctor files a permanency report, and the insurance carrier may respond with its own medical evaluation if it disputes the rating.
If they dispute your doctor’s rating, a hearing before a WCB judge will determine the final percentage.
Ossining Schedule Loss of Use Lawyer Near Me (914) 595-4502
How Our Schedule Loss of Use Lawyer in Ossining Can Help at Your IME
Before your SLU award is finalized, the insurance carrier will likely schedule an Independent Medical Examination (IME). Despite the word “independent,” the IME doctor is chosen and paid by the insurer. Their findings often rate your injury lower than your own treating doctor would.
A lower rating directly reduces your award. A difference of just 10 percentage points on a shoulder injury can cost you more than $10,000. You have the right to challenge an IME rating with your treating doctor’s opinion, and O’Connor Law helps you do exactly that.
Knowing what to expect at an IME can help protect your claim:
- Be honest and consistent when describing your symptoms and limitations
- Don’t minimize your pain out of habit or discomfort with the process
- Bring a complete list of all medical treatment you’ve received
- Report the details of the exam to your attorney right away
- Your treating doctor’s opinion carries real weight at a WCB hearing
Why Ossining Workers Trust O’Connor Law
O’Connor Law has been representing injured New York workers since 2009. Our team has secured over $25 million in non-medical benefits annually for workers like you.
Our founding attorney worked for insurance carriers before switching sides to advocate for workers, which gives us a clear view of how insurers think and operate.
We understand the tactics insurers use to lower your SLU rating because we’ve seen them from the inside. We prepare you for your IME and challenge unfair ratings at WCB hearings when needed.
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Get Help From a Schedule Loss of Use Lawyer in Ossining
If you’ve been injured at work and are approaching the end of your medical treatment, now is the time to talk with an attorney. The period around MMI is critical. It’s when your SLU rating gets established, and a low rating can follow your case to its conclusion.
An experienced O’Connor Law attorney can review your case, explain what your award may look like, and fight to make sure the insurer doesn’t reduce what you’re owed. We’ve helped thousands of injured New York workers through this process, and we’re ready to help you, too.
Contact O’Connor Law today for your free consultation. We’re everyday lawyers for everyday people, and we’re here to fight for the benefits you’ve worked for. Talk with our Scheduled Loss of Use attorneys in Ossining today.
