Disabling Injuries

Tennessee Disabling Injury Attorney

If you have become totally permanently disabled (TPD) because of an injury at work in Tennessee, you may be entitled to lifetime disability benefits until retirement age. (The age of retirement varies from 65 to 67, depending on your date of birth.)

What constitutes permanent impairment? For the sake of a Tennessee workers' compensation claim in Tennessee, the degree of impairment of a disabling injury depends on the American Medical Association's evaluation of it. Seemingly minor distinctions by percentages of disability can translate into many thousands of dollars in workers' compensation benefits over a lifetime.

Permanent Disability, Lifetime Medical Care Benefits and Lump-Sum Settlements

Included in your lifetime benefits is medical care related to the injury until your relevant retirement age. Recently amended state laws in Tennessee allow recipients of lifetime medical care through workers' compensation to close out the medical portion of the claim in exchange for a lump-sum settlement. Once maximum medical improvement (MMI) has been attained, your employer's workers' compensation insurer may offer you an attractive-looking lump-sum settlement in exchange for an agreement to receive no more medical care related to that injury.

Is it in your best interests to accept a lump-sum settlement after a permanently disabling injury? The Law Office of Donald D. Zuccarello cautions disabled workers to consult with a highly experienced workers' compensation lawyer before agreeing to such a trade-off. The lump-sum settlement may seem enticing, and you may believe that future medical treatments for your injury are likely to be minimal. However, be cautious! If your bone fracture was repaired with hardware (plates, screws or rods) inside your body, for example, any future surgical treatment of the same area of your body could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Nashville Workplace Injury Attorneys Offer Free Consultations

There is no substitute for experience in this area of the law when you face challenging dilemmas about benefits and disabling injuries. Do you have a challenging workers' compensation quandary in Tennessee? Disabling injury? Lawyers at the Law Office of Donald D. Zuccarello offer free initial consultations. To talk with an attorney, please call 877-918-2395 or contact us online.