As a Missouri Workers Compensation Lawyer based in St. Louis, one of the most frequent questions I see is "How much is my work comp case worth?"  Of course, there is no one single answer and in every case, there are a number of variables.  But generally speaking, there are three things we have to determine in order to determine the value of any workers comp case in Missouri. 

The first thing to determine is the part of the body injured.  Under Missouri's Workmen's Comp system, every body part is assigned a number.  For instance, if you have a torn rotator cuff in the shoulder, the number is 232.  If you have a herniated disc or bulging disc in the neck or back, the number is 400.  If you have a torn meniscus in the knee, the number is 160. 

The second number we determine is your average weekly wage (AWW).  Missouri's workers compensation statutes dictate the rules to determine the AWW.  However, the most common method is to take the average of what you made for the 13 weeks prior to the injury.  That average is called the average weekly wage.  We then take 2/3 of that number to arrive at the permanent partial disabiliy (PPD) rate.

Finally, we have to determine the percentage of permanent partial disability (PPD).  As the name implies, this is expressed in terms of a percentage.  For example, we might say a person's shoulder is 35% disabled because of their torn rotator cuff or torn labrum.  Their knee might be 30% disabled because of the torn meniscus.  Their back (whole body) might be 40% disabled because of a herniated disc at L5-S1.  Agreeing on this number is often when a St. Louis Workers Comp Lawyer is most valuable.  Studies show that people who are hurt at work obtain an average of 50% more than those who do not have a lawyer. 

Once we have determined these three numbers, they are multiplied together.  (Body Part) X (PPD Rate) X (Disability Percentage) = Final Work Comp Settlement.

This can be confusing for many people.  Before you talk with an attorney or the work comp adjuster, you should obtain The Ultimate Missouri Work Comp Book.  Written by St. Louis Personal Injury Lawyer Joshua P. Myers, it explains what people injured on the job really need to know about how Missouri's Workers Compensation system works.  The book is free to all Missouri injured workers.