There are a number of dangerous professions out there in the world that can inflict serious injuries to those who are employed in them. These professions can do more than lay a person up for a few months. They can inflict permanent disabilities that can restrict a person for the rest of his or her life.

Workers compensation programs are designed to provide employees who have been injured or disabled with compensation for injuries that occur while they were performing work related duties and tasks. The benefits available to those who have been injured include coverage for medical bills, vocational rehabilitation in the event that it is necessary, and survivor benefits to the families in the event that they are suffering because of the death of the main income provider.

Where an injury that has occurred will prevent an employee from ever returning to active employment in the same capacity as previously, workers compensation has an answer for that too. In these cases, workers’ compensation is meant to ease the reward process and prevent lawsuits, getting an employee back on his or her financial feet sooner.

Problems come up with workers’ compensation when dealing with the types of disability that exist. This basically means that it must be sorted out whether an injury is permanent or temporary for starters and then total or partial on top of that.

In permanent disability cases, it may be more difficult to convince the workers’ compensation insurer to pay out a settlement of sorts that will ensure that the now disabled worker will still be able to survive financially.

Permanent disabilities may arise in workers compensation situations when the employee suffers any kind of injury. Depending on the type of employment, the injuries that will result in permanent disability vary. Some examples are:

– Neck and back injuries
– Heart problem
– A decrease in vision
– Diminished hearing capacity
– Amputations

While these situations are all likely to create a permanent disability, they are not the only times permanent disability may arise. It is important to remember that the laws concerning workers’ compensation coverage as well as the criteria regarding payments for injuries vary from state to state. Some states are much more worker friendly than are others.

The laws also vary from state to state as to how an injury is classified. Some states have provisions that allow an injury to be classified as a temporary disability leading to or becoming permanent. Another classification of permanent disabilities is the “partial permanent disability.” Partial permanent disabilities are disabilities that limit the worker in his or her original job capacity but still allow the worker to perform some job functions.