No one expects to be injured at work. When injuries do occur, we hope that they stay minor and do not have massive impacts on our lives. However, catastrophic injuries can and do happen at work. One of the more catastrophic injuries that has been far too common are amputations. According to an annual report from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA), from 2015-2021 there were over 18,500 amputation related injuries.
In such cases, consulting with one of our Toledo workplace amputation lawyers at Charles E. Boyk Law Offices is critical to protecting your rights and ensuring you receive the compensation you need.
There are numerous challenges facing workers when they try to file a workers’ compensation claim. They may be assigned a specific doctor by their employer or the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation who may not have the injured person’s best interests at heart. The injured worker may also be required to get multiple opinions which leads to constant delays. Some employers hire private investigators who are trained to find technicalities to prevent a workers’ compensation claim from being approved. The process is overly complicated and can leave workers feeling helpless.
Do not fight this battle alone! Going alone means that you will be going up against an organized team of doctors, lawyers, and private investigators just to receive enough compensation to cover basic needs. This is where an experienced Toledo workers’ compensation attorney can be a valuable ally. Our mission at Charles E. Boyk Law Offices is to provide support to injured workers. Our team accomplishes this by creating an individualized plan to help them recover faster, ensure bills are paid, help them get back to work, and try to restore their quality of life as best as possible. Our teams of experienced workers’ compensation attorneys will make sure that your case is handled properly and will fight to protect your rights.
How Do I File a Workers’ Compensation Claim?
In order to receive workers’ compensation benefits, a claim must be filed. To ensure your claim is properly filed, it is important to follow the following steps.
Report your Injury to Your Employer
As soon as you are injured, report the injury to your employer. It is important that you report the injury as soon as possible as any delay can hurt the chances of receiving benefits you are entitled to. Your employer should then document the injury and potentially refer you to their company doctor (if applicable) for initial treatment. If you have a serious injury, you should seek medical attention immediately.
File a First Report of Injury (FROI)
After notifying your employer, you should file a claim with the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC). A form called the First Report of Injury (FROI) must be filled out and submitted to the BWC. Properly filing the FROI is crucial to make sure your claim is filed on time. While you could file an FROI on your own, it can also be filed by your workers’ compensation attorney, or your employer. A medical provider may also file the FROI on your behalf. Hiring an experienced Toledo workplace amputation attorney can make sure that this form is properly filed on time.
Having an experienced worker’s compensation attorney help complete your FROI is crucial to ensure you get the benefits you are entitled to. Our workers’ compensation lawyers here at Charles E. Boyk Law Offices can help you ensure that all necessary details are included in your FROI. Including the following information on your FROI dramatically increases the odds of that your claim will be approved by the BWC:
- A comprehensive description of your accident.
- Medical Diagnosis of your injury.
- Medical Documentation that links the treatment you received to your workplace injury.
- Any information about disability resulting from the injury.
If your claim gets denied, our experienced Toledo worker’s compensation attorneys can help you appeal the BWC’s decision.
Wait for the BWC’s Decision
Once the FROI is filed, you will receive a claim number from the BWC. The BWC will evaluate your claim by interviewing you, your employer, and your medical providers. Ohio Law requires the BWC to either approve or deny your claim within 28 days. Our team of workers’ compensation can help guide you through the appeal process if your claim were to be denied.
How Do I Read the Workers’ Compensation Chart?
The BWC releases a chart at the end of the year that is used to determine amounts and timelines for workers injured in Ohio. The chart reflects the statutory guidelines in Ohio Law that regulate workers’ compensation coverage. The rate chart is used by employers, adjusters, and attorneys to calculate how much a worker may receive. The rate chart considers all of the following:
- Type of Workplace Injury
- Severity of Disability
- Temporary Total Disability (TTD): If you can’t work for 8 or more calendar days due to a work-related injury, you may qualify for temporary total disability benefits. These Benefits provide financial support to workers who can not perform any work, even if it’s a different kind of job, for a temporary period.
- Permanent Total Disability (PTD): If an injury is so severe that you can never work again, you could be eligible for Permanent Total Disability (PTD) benefits. These benefits are for people who cannot work anymore in either their current job or any other job. These benefit requires detailed medical evidence that shows your disability is permanent and total.
- Permanent Partial Disability (PPD): If an injury does not completely stop you from working but leaves you with permanent limitations, you could qualify for Permanent Partial Disability benefits (PPD). An independent medical professional will evaluate your injury and provide a percentage to the disability. This person is often chosen by the employer or BWC. This percentage will then be used to determine the amount of compensation you are entitled to.
- Scheduled Loss (SL): Some injuries result in a complete loss or functional loss of a body part. These scheduled losses (SL) are paid for a set number of weeks, regardless of your ability to return to work. Each week is paid at the compensation rate determined by the BWC.
- Average Weekly Wage (AWW): This is a broader average calculated based on all wages earned during the 52-week period prior to the date of injury.
- Full weekly Wage (FWW): This amount is either your gross earnings from the six weeks prior to the date of injury, or the average earnings for the 7 days prior to the date of injury. The BWC will use the higher of the two to determine the rate.
- Duration of medical treatment and recovery: Medical Benefits cover all reasonable and necessary medical care required because of the workplace injury or illness this includes:
- Consultations with both general practitioners and specialists related to the injury
- Hospital stays, surgeries, and emergency treatments
- Cost of drugs prescribed to trat or manage the workplace injury
- Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and other rehabilitation treatments needed to restore functionality to the injured body part.
- Type of Benefit being requested
- Wage Loss Compensation: Sometimes a work injury does not stop you from working, but it still limits the kind of work you can do or lower your earnings potential. Wage loss compensation helps bridge the gap between your higher-paying old income and your new, lower-paying job. If you get forced to take a lower paying job because of your injury, you may be eligible for this benefit. This is also available if you are unable to find a new job that fits your medical restrictions.
An experienced Toledo workplace amputation attorney will help you better understand how the chart works and use the chart to best calculate how much compensation you are entitled to for your workplace injury. Our team will work to ensure that you get the benefits that you are entitled to.
How Much Compensation Am I Entitled to if I Lose My Finger at Work?
At the bottom of the BWC Compensation Rate Chart, there is a separate chart called the “Scheduled B Chart”. This chart lists the total amount of compensation you can receive for the loss of or functional loss of a body part. This includes amputations. This amount is paid over several weeks at the scheduled loss weekly rate. In 2025, this rate was $1,231 per week. The total number in the schedule B chart represents the maximum amount of compensation from the workers’ compensation system that someone can receive for these types of injuries. Below are the total amounts of compensation that someone can receive for an amputation injury for the year 2025:
- Thumbs: $73,860 paid out over 60 weeks
- Index Fingers: $43,085 paid out over 35 weeks
- Middle Fingers: $36,930 paid out over 30 weeks
- Ring Fingers: $24,620 paid out over 20 weeks
- Pinky Fingers: $18,465 paid out over 15 weeks
- Metacarpals: $12,310 paid out over 10 weeks
- Hands: $215,425 paid out over 175 weeks
- Arms: $276,975 paid out over 225 weeks
- Big Toes: $36,930 paid out over 30 weeks
- Any other Toe: $12,310 paid out over 10 weeks
- Foot: $184,650 paid out over 150 weeks
- Leg: $246,200 paid out over 200 weeks
- Eye: $153,875 paid out over 125 weeks
- Hearing in One Ear: $30,775 paid out over 25 weeks
- Total Hearing Loss: $153,875 paid out over 125 weeks.
Who Can Be Sued When I Lose an Arm at Work?
Workers’ compensation cases work differently than normal personal injury cases. The workers’ compensation benefits provide for lost wage payments, and medical costs. Because this is provided through the system, in most job injury cases, you cannot sue. In these cases, fault does not matter; all that matters is whether you were hurt or developed a condition while you were working.
While these general bar exists, there are two exceptions to the restriction against suing over a workplace injury:
- Intentional Injuries: Intentional injuries occur when your employer intentionally tries to harm you or knows that their actions could cause harm. These cases are hard to pursue because it is difficult to prove intent. However, it may be possible to show intent if an employer took action that made working conditions far more hazardous. This includes purposely removing safety guards on dangerous equipment
- Injuries Caused by Third Parties: If someone other than your employer or co-worker caused you injury on the job, you can still pursue a personal injury claim against them. This typically comes when you are driving as part of your job and you get into a car accident. This type of case may also arise in products liability conducts when machine malfunctions or is improperly designed in a way that causes injury.
Toledo Workers’ Compensation Amputation Case Examples
- Client Receives Compensation after Losing Fingers in Table Saw Accident
Our client was using a table saw without the safety guards. He had lost 2 fingers and had to undergo extensive physical and occupational therapy to regain some use of his hand. The client came to Charles Boyk Law Offices for help guiding him through the workers’ compensation process.
Our firm went right to work. We filed the FROI with the BWC for both his medical bills and lost wages. We hired a safety expert and filed safety violation claim which resulted in the employer entering a confidential settlement to settle the entire. Our client was ultimately able to take a white-collar job where he no longer needed to do manual labor.
- Tub Cleaning Leads to Loss of 3 Fingers
Our client was cleaning a materials tub and grinder at work. His hand got sucked into the grinder and took off three of his fingers on his right hand. He was taken to the hospital via EMS before being Life flighted to Ann Arbor. The client came to Charles Boyk Law Offices to help guide him through the workers’ compensation claim, and file a personal injury claim against the employer.
Our firm went to work and filed a claim with the BWC. While the full BWC claim is still ongoing, our firm was able to settle the personal injury claim with our client’s employer for just over $42,000.
- Pressing the Wrong Button leads to Thumb Loss
Our client was adjusting a finger slide in a press machine when the supervisor hit the wrong button. This caused the press to fall on our client’s hand. The injury caused damage to his left arm, wrist and fingers. It destroyed 2 arteries and crushed both his thumb and index finger. He ultimately did lose his thumb.
Our firm went to work on our client’s behalf and filed a claim with the BWC. We were able to secure a settlement over $62,000 for loss of use in both his thumb and index finger. While we secured this partial settlement for our client’s injuries, the full claim is still moving through the worker’s compensation process.
- Police Chase Crash leads to Loss of Arm
Our client was driving for her employer to pick up supplies. As she was turning, a stolen vehicle that was being chased by the police smashed into the driver’s side of her vehicle. This caused the vehicle to flip numerous times before coming to a complete stop. As a result of the accident our client had to amputate her arm.
Our firm is working tirelessly on both the Workers’ Compensation and personal injury claims. We were able to settle the loss of use portion of the Workers’ Compensation claim while the rest of the full claim gets litigated.
Hire an Experienced Toledo Workers’ Comp. Amputation Injury Attorney Today!
If you or a loved one have suffered a work-related amputation, it is critical that you have a skilled Toledo workplace amputation lawyer handling your case in order to secure the compensation you deserve. Here at Charles E. Boyk Law Offices, our experienced attorneys are dedicated to guiding you through the complex workers’ compensation system. We understand the complications that can come with amputation injury cases and will work relentlessly to ensure you obtain the compensation and justice you deserve.
Reach out to us today for a free case evaluation and find out how we can best support you in these difficult times. Let us leverage our years of expertise to support you every step of the way.
