An employee who sustains multiple physical impairments due to a workplace accident is entitled to pursue a settlement for multiple injuries. These claims are governed by the Alabama Workers’ Compensation Act, which outlines specific protocols for valuing various body parts. A Montgomery workers’ compensation attorney can calculate the total impact on your ability to work and get the highest compensation available.
Securing workers’ comp multiple-injury settlements often involves higher stakes because the cumulative effects of multiple impairments can be more debilitating than a single injury. Managing multiple injuries workers’ comp claims requires meticulous coordination of medical evidence across different specialties. Insurance carriers often attempt to isolate individual injuries or blame them on pre-existing conditions to reduce the overall settlement value.
To prevent this, your medical records must clearly link each specific diagnosis to the workplace incident, ensuring that the final settlement reflects the full scope of your future medical needs and any permanent loss of earning capacity. At Hunter | Everage, we focus on identifying the full scope of your medical needs to ensure your settlement reflects the true cost of your recovery and future livelihood.
How Alabama Workers’ Comp Handles Multiple Work‑Related Injuries
The Alabama workers’ compensation system addresses multiple injuries based on whether the harm affects “scheduled” body parts or the “body as a whole.”
Single Accident vs. Multiple Injury Claims Explained
When a single workplace accident causes trauma to multiple parts of the body, such as a fall resulting in a broken wrist and a back strain, these are considered concurrent injuries. Employees who sustain concurrent injuries resulting in concurrent disabilities typically receive compensation for the injury that entitles them to the largest amount of compensation.
However, if these injuries involve multiple “scheduled members” (like both hands or both feet), the law provides specific formulas to account for the combined loss.
Some cases involve successive injuries. This happens when an employee with a pre-existing condition or an older work injury suffers a new accident. Under Alabama Code § 25-5-58, an employer is generally liable only for the disability that would have resulted from the second accident alone. If a new accident makes an old injury worse, the legal focus shifts to how the combined effects impact your current ability to work.
In cases involving multiple injuries or workers’ comp claims where an employee has worked for different employers, Alabama often applies the “last injurious exposure” rule. This rule generally holds the last employer (or insurance carrier) liable if the most recent work exposure contributed to the final disability.
Identifying whether your claim involves concurrent trauma or a successive aggravation is a technical process. The legal team at Hunter | Everage analyzes medical records to categorize each injury correctly under Alabama statutes, preventing insurance companies from underpaying based on “prior conditions.”
How Permanent Impairment Ratings Are Combined
When you reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI), a doctor assigns a permanent impairment rating. If you have workers’ comp claims with multiple injuries, these ratings are not always added together through simple math.
- Scheduled Injuries:These are injuries to specific body parts listed in Alabama Code § 25-5-57(a)(3), such as hands, arms, or feet. Each has a set number of weeks of compensation.
- Unscheduled Injuries: These involve the head, back, or neck.
- The “Body as a Whole” Rating: If you have multiple injuries affecting different body parts, the doctor may provide a rating for the body as a whole.
If multiple scheduled injuries occur in one accident, the court may treat them as a single unscheduled injury to the body as a whole if the combined effect causes a greater loss of earning capacity.
Medical Evidence Needed to Prove Multiple Injuries
The success of workers’ comp multiple-injury settlements depends on medical documentation. You must provide:
Authorized Physician Diagnostic Reports
Every injury must be evaluated by your authorized treating physician. Ensure the doctor notes each specific symptom during your initial visits to establish a timeline.
Objective Imaging and Testing
You need objective data, such as MRI, CT, and EMG (electromyography) scans, to demonstrate physical damage in different areas.
Narrative Reports on Causation
Your doctor must explicitly state that each injury “arose out of and in the course of” your employment. For workers’ comp multiple injury settlements, a generic note is insufficient; the report should explain how the mechanics of the accident caused each distinct trauma.
Specialist Referrals and Evaluations
If you have multiple types of injuries, you need evidence from specialists in those fields. Each specialist will provide a separate impairment rating.
Functional Capacity Evaluation (FCE)
This is a formal test that measures your physical abilities. When dealing with multiple injuries, an FCE is helpful because it demonstrates how the injuries interact to limit your ability to sit, stand, or lift, which directly impacts your earning capacity.
Records of Secondary or Consequential Injuries
Sometimes one injury leads to another, such as a leg injury that changes your gait and causes back pain. These are “consequential” injuries. You must have medical records showing the progression from the primary injury to the secondary one to include them in workers’ comp multiple injury settlements.
When a Lump‑Sum Settlement Makes Sense in Montgomery WC Cases
A lump-sum settlement is a one-time payment that resolves your claim and ends the insurance company’s obligation to provide weekly checks. This option is often beneficial once you reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) and your medical condition is stable.
Under Alabama Code § 25-5-83, a judge must approve this arrangement to confirm it serves your best interest. Taking a single payment is a strategic choice when you no longer require active medical treatment. Since these agreements generally close your medical claim, you must ensure the amount covers all future needs.
If your injuries result in a permanent loss of earning capacity, a lump sum can provide the stability needed to transition into a different type of work or retirement. Because you cannot reopen a closed claim, timing this decision with a legal professional is vital to avoid losing out on long-term support.
Contact an Experienced Montgomery Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
If you have sustained multiple injuries, workers’ comp claims can become legally complex and confusing, leaving you with many unanswered questions.
The legal team at Hunter | Everage handles the administrative burden of filing and negotiating your case so you can focus on physical recovery. We review your medical records and impairment ratings to ensure the insurance carrier acknowledges every diagnosis in your settlement for multiple injuries.
To discuss your case with a member of our team, call us at 704-377-9157 to request a consultation.
