Work, Pay & Leave Rights · Surprise rank #175
Permanent Loss of Use After a NY Work Injury? You May Be Owed an Extra Schedule Loss Award
New York workers' compensation can pay a Schedule Loss of Use award when a work injury leaves permanent functional loss in certain limbs, eyesight or hearing.
Who
Workers with a compensable New York work injury that causes permanent loss of function in a covered extremity, eyesight or hearing.
What to do
Start here: When treatment stabilizes, ask the treating provider whether a permanency/SLU evaluation is appropriate and make sure the medical report reaches the Workers' Compensation Board.
Eligibility: The injury must be compensable and medically determined to have reached permanency with a qualifying schedule loss.
What you get
An SLU award is additional compensation based on the body part, percentage of permanent loss and the worker's weekly benefit rate.
Benefit: A scheduled workers' compensation award calculated from the statutory weeks for the body part multiplied by the SLU percentage and applicable weekly rate.
Possible value: Can be substantial; for example, the schedule assigns 312 weeks to an arm, 288 to a leg, 244 to a hand and 205 to a foot before applying the loss percentage and weekly rate.
Good to know
Important: Temporary disability benefits already paid for the same injury can reduce the SLU award. The percentage is a medical/legal determination, not simply the worker's own estimate.
Availability: Active
Why people miss it: Workers may think checks stop once they return to work and never ask whether permanent loss of function creates a separate award.
Sources reviewed: Aug 10, 2026