Like other work-related injuries, work-related ankle injuries are fairly common. People will often twist their ankles at work by stepping on uneven surfaces or into holes in the floor. Sometimes people step on discarded or misplaced items and twist, fracture, or break their ankles.
Work-related ankle injuries are treated much the same as any other work-related injury in New Jersey. That is, if you injure your ankle at work, you will be entitled to receive the following workers’ compensation benefits:
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Medical benefits to pay for the treatment you need to recover from your ankle injury
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Total disability benefits to replace the wages you lose while being off work or on light duty and earning less money
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Permanent partial disability benefits to compensate you for any permanent impairment or loss of function to any body part (legs, arms, fingers, toes, lungs etc.) as a result of the injury
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Permanent total disability benefits to compensate you if you are permanently and totally impaired due to a work-related injury and cannot return to any gainful employment
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Death benefits to be paid to your dependents if you are killed or die as a result a work-related accident or injury.
One of the main issues with a work-related ankle injury is that even after getting treated for and recovering from the injury, you may have some permanent impairment and have certain limitations on what you can do on that ankle. If you suffer any kind of permanent ankle impairment, it can be a very difficult to return to a job where you have to be on your feet a lot.
If your job allows you to sit a lot, then an ankle injury may not have a great deal of affect your ability to work. But, if your job requires you to stand all day or do a lot of walking, any permanent impairment in your ankle will make it difficult for you to return to that job.
You may, therefore, need to continue to receive workers’ compensation benefits for some time after your injury. The problem with this is that there are limitations on the length of time that a workers’ compensation insurance company has to pay you wage loss benefits. So, if you have a permanent impairment as a result of an ankle injury, this can be a very difficult position to be in and may eventually require you to seek a different type of employment.
Contact an Experienced New Jersey Workers’ Compensation Attorney
An experienced New Jersey workers’ compensation attorney can assist you with handling your workers’ compensation ankle injury claim and make sure that you receive the treatment you need to recover from your injury as fully as possible. Furthermore, an experienced workers’ compensation attorney can ensure that you receive all of the benefits you are entitled to receive for any permanent impairment you have suffered as a result of your workers’ compensation ankle injury.
For more precise information regarding the benefits you’re entitled to receive for your New Jersey work-related ankle injury, contact an experienced New Jersey workers’ compensation attorney. Workman’s Compensation for New Jersey can help you find the workers’ compensation attorney you need. Call us at 609-412-4722, or contact us here for a free consultation.