Disability Classifications for Injured NY Volunteer Firefighters and Ambulance Workers

Volunteer firefighters and ambulance workers injured on the job are eligible to receive cash benefits and medical care thanks to laws that were passed in 1957 and 1989. The Volunteer Firefighters’ and Volunteer Ambulance Workers’ (VFAW) Benefits Laws protects volunteer workers who give so much of themselves to keep New Yorkers safe.

There are a number of different disability classifications that injured firefighters and ambulance workers can fall into, classifications that will affect the type and amount of benefits provided. An injured worker’s disability classification is determined by their healthcare provider.

Below are six disability categories that are used to classify workers to determine the benefits they will receive after a work-related injury:

1. Permanent Total Disability is the classification for workers whose earning capacity has been lost totally and permanently as the result of a work-related accident. If you fall into this category, you are entitled to a maximum payout of $400 per week.

2. Temporary Total Disability is the classification for workers who totally lose their earning capacity, but not permanently. As long as the disability persists and is total, you qualify for up to $400 per week.

3. Temporary Partial Disability is the category for workers who suffer a work-related injury that leads to a partial loss of their ability to work on a temporary basis. If you fall into this category, the cash benefits are not as straightforward: the percent of earning capacity you have lost will need to be determined. If you have a loss of earning capacity greater than 75 percent, you can receive up to $400 per week. If your loss of earning capacity is 50 to 75 percent, you can receive up to $268. Losses of earning capacity from 25 to 50 percent will earn you $30 per week, and less than 25 percent results in no cash benefits.

4. Permanent Partial Disability is the category for workers who suffer a permanent disability that only partially compromises their ability to work. If you fall into this classification, you are eligible to receive cash benefits based on same earning capacity breakdown as listed above for a temporary partial disability.

5. Schedule Loss is a category within the Permanent Partial Disability classification reserved for injured workers who lose their eyesight, hearing or part of their body or use of part of their body. If your injuries place you in this category, your compensation will be limited to a set number of weeks according to a schedule determined by law and dependent on the percent loss you’ve suffered (i.e. 100 percent loss of a body part or 50 percent loss).

6. Disfigurement is the category for workers who suffer from a serious and permanent disfigurement of their head, face or neck. Depending on when the accident occurred, you could receive up to a maximum amount of $20,000 for your injuries.

To further discuss your options with a lawyer after being injured on the job as a volunteer firefighter or ambulance worker, please contact our White Plains or East Meadow Long Island law office. You will be able to speak with one of our experienced attorneys for no cost or obligation.

Markhoff & Mittman, P.C.

14 Mamaroneck Avenue

Suite 400

White Plains, NY 10601

Toll Free: (866) 205-2415

Phone: (914) 946-1452

Fax: (914) 946-0810

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