When a person experiences permanent disability from a work injury they may feel concern and worry over what the future may hold for them and their family. They may have many questions about how to maintain financial security and how they will continue to provide for their loved ones. A Colorado foundation has now made scholarships available to kids of those with a permanent disability from work related injuries for teens that qualify.
The daughter of a Colorado woman who experienced permanent disability from a work injury is one of many who have earned a scholarship from the Pinnacol Foundation. Her mother suffered a torn rotator cuff at work and upon return to work re injured her shoulder an additional two times. Although workers’ comp medical assistance may have assisted financially, the now permanent disability has rendered the Colorado mother unable to use her right arm as she once could. Although workers compensation will often cover medical expenses and funerary costs, many victims may be perplexed on how to understand their benefits and limitations on what they could be entitled to.
The Foundation reports that long term impacts on an injured worker can be just as detrimental to the success of the children. This is especially true in situations where the ability to financially sustain a college education has been taken away from a victim and benefits do not supplement the deficit. Frequently children are placed in a less than ideal situation after a serious workplace accident, having to care for the family or for a parent with a permanent disability. In the past 13 years almost 400 children of victims have received over $3 million for vocational and college scholarships provided by the foundation to sustain up to a five year education.
The foundation scholarships available to kids of those with a permanent disability have helped many Colorado teens fulfill their dream of attending college when it may have otherwise been financially impossible. Unfortunately, not all victims’ children will qualify, and their future success may be of great concern to a person with a work related disability that has been rendered unable to earn what they used to. When a family faces a workers’ compensation situation from a job related injury, they may seek assistance in collecting any and all benefits legally available to obtain a secure financial future.
Source: postindependent.com, Mother??s injury at work leads to college scholarship help for Rifle resident, Amy Hadden Marsh, Oct. 11, 2013