Did you know that if you lose your arm in a workplace accident in Maryland, you might qualify for over $300,000 in workers' compensation? ProPublica has created an interactive database that workers can use to compare the rates of compensation from state to state. In Maryland, workers are shown to receive compensation levels that exceed national averages.
Because every state has different laws that govern their workers' compensation programs, the level of compensation received for various injuries is different in other parts of the country. For example, workers who suffer an arm injury on average tend to receive $132,000 less than they do in Maryland. Furthermore, Maryland ranks the best state to live in if you suffer an on-the-job foot injury. Maximum compensation for a foot injury in this state is $251,802 versus and average maximum of $91,779 in other states.
ProPublica also compared some individual case scenarios to highlight the amount of compensation received for similar injuries from state to state. In one extreme comparison, two men both lost parts of their arms in workplace accidents. One man is to receive as much as $740,000 in benefits but the other man is only set to receive $45,000.
Although Maryland is one of the best states in terms of workers' compensation benefits, that does not mean that all injured workers are fairly treated by our state's workers' compensation system. Indeed, claims can take weeks to prepare, file and process. In the case of a rejected claim, it could take months before a hearing is held to have the case re-examined. Meanwhile, the worker is suffering from his or her injuries, in need of costly medical care and possibly unable to work and earn a living. For this reason, it is absolutely vital that injured workers complete their workers' compensation claims right the first time.