Which permanent disability is presumed to be total in character?

• A. Loss of the use of both hands.
• B. Loss of both legs above the knee
• C. Loss of sight in an eye.
• D. Serious brain injury.

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is the automatic or statutory presumption that certain injuries are permanently total in character because they remove essential functions needed for nearly all work. When both hands are lost or rendered unusable, a worker essentially cannot perform the majority of jobs, since hands are required for most tasks. That complete loss of functional use makes permanent total disability presume itself, without needing to prove through every possible job or impairment rating.

The other options don’t carry the same automatic presumption. Losing sight in one eye still leaves available work options and functional vision, and a brain injury can vary widely in outcome. While those injuries can be severe, they don’t universally trigger the presumption of permanent total disability in the same way that losing both hands does.