How much is a Foot injury worth?

The value of a workers’ compensation claim involving a foot injury will depend on the severity of the specific injury and the amount of treatment that it requires.

For example, depending on the type of break, some fractures require only that the foot be immobilized in a walking boot while the bone heals. Other types of fractures, however, could require surgery including inserting hardware such as plates and screws.

Under Maryland law, the case involving the surgery will be worth more than the case requiring immobilization. In addition to broken bones, there are many other ways in which a foot can be injured, including repetitive or over-use injuries, contusions, tendon and soft tissue injuries, etc.

According to the Comp Pinkbook, which tracked workers’ compensation awards in Maryland over an 18 month period, the average value of a permanent partial disability (“PPD”) award for a foot injury was $8,586. For full and final settlements, the average increased to $17,435.

The reason the average value of a permanency award is significantly less than the average value of a settlement for foot injuries is because a settlement closes a case forever. On the other hand, by not settling but instead obtaining a PPD award, an injured worker retains the right to reopen their case in the future should he or she sustain a worsening of condition of their work-related injury.