Workmen's Compensation Delay: Is There a Penalty for a Year-Long Wait? Can He Return to Full-Time Work?

Dear Seniors,

Kindly enlighten the topic of workmen's compensation. One of our workers met with an accident last year and lost his ring finger. After one year, his compensation amount has been cleared by the insurance company. My question is: Is there any penalty for the delay in the process for one year? Is he eligible to have full-time employment with our company?

Thank you.

Compensation and Interest for Delayed Settlement

One-year delay in settlement was not caused by any act of the company but by the insurance company. Therefore, the insurance company will pay whatever interest is payable. Obviously, the amount that the employee received would include interest as well.

Permanent Partial Disablement Compensation

This is a case of permanent partial disablement. The amount of compensation awarded would be based on the loss of earning capacity of the worker. It can be any percentage of the total earning capacity of the worker. For example, if he has lost 20% of his earning capacity, then he can still be gainfully employed for the remaining 80%. Therefore, he can engage in activities that allow him to earn that 80% of the income he was earning before the accident.