Value of Hypertension Comp Cases in MD
The Average Case
There is no average hypertension case, so the title of this section is a little bit misleading. With a medical situation as significant as hypertension, it can never be defined as average. Hypertension can have numerous effects including headaches, unusual pains, breathing issues, and erectile dysfunction, to name just a few issues. These health issues are significant.
That said, what we have is data. In the Comp Pinkbook, Byron Warnken of Warnken, LLC did a study that measured a year and half worth of workers’ comp permanency awards. This included both permanent partial disability, and final settlements or compromise orders. Permanent partial disability or PPD leaves the case open, while a final settlement closes it. Final settlements can include closing the cases for medicals in addition to indemnity, or leaving medicals open.
In the Comp Pinkbook, hypertension was the 14th most common injury. There were 279 awards over a year and a half period. Workers’ compensation insurers paid out $3,645,684 in those cases, for an average of $13,067 per case. In cases that were closed via final settlement, the average case value was $43,078. Some cases, however, were worth well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Public Safety
The values cited above are for all cases. Typically, hypertension cases are public safety, but not always. Therefore, it’s possible that the average public safety hypertension case is worth even more.
Certain law enforcement and other public safety employees are entitled to a presumption, under the law, that the hypertension condition is caused by the job. This presumption is not absolute, but it is helpful in proving a case of hypertension for a police officer.
The average citizen simply does not understand what goes into being a police officer. However, anyone who has been law enforcement or has, as we have, represented numerous police officers, knows why the presumption exists. Besides military, no job is like law enforcement.