Yes—you can disable permadeath in STAR WARS Zero Company. It is enabled by default. Injuries, being downed and permanent death are related but distinct states, and Hawks has a separate mission-failure rule that should not be confused with an ordinary operator’s campaign loss.
Source: EA · Q&AEA · Gameplay
Downed operators and injuries
EA’s combat explanation describes an operator being downed when health runs out, gaining an injury in the process. A teammate can use Rally to help a downed operator. Under the standard rules described by EA, reaching three injuries causes permanent death.
That makes an operator’s injury state important even when the current fight still looks recoverable. Do not read a Rally opportunity as proof that previous injuries have been erased. Review the state shown by the game and avoid treating every downed operator as an identical situation.
Source: EA · Gameplay
Turning permanent losses off
EA’s Q&A confirms that permadeath can be turned off. Choose the campaign experience you want instead of assuming permanent character loss is compulsory. The option is separate from understanding AP, cover and recovery; disabling permanent losses does not make those tactical systems irrelevant.
The published explanation does not establish an exhaustive recovery procedure for every difficulty and every configuration. Follow the rules shown in your campaign settings rather than assuming that disabling permadeath guarantees a specific instant recovery sequence.
Source: EA · Q&AEA · Gameplay
Why Hawks is different
If Hawks dies, the mission fails and must be restarted. Hawks is the campaign protagonist and is required on story missions. Do not interpret the optional permadeath setting as a promise that a story mission continues without Hawks.
This distinction also matters when reading squad advice: a reserve can replace an ordinary operator in a later deployment, but it does not remove the protagonist requirement from a story mission.
Source: EA · Q&A
Treatment and reserve planning
At The Den, regular Medbay beds heal injuries over one Cycle. Bacta treatment provides immediate healing, and treatment costs Credits. A tactical mission advances the Cycle, so review recovery needs before choosing the next deployment.
A useful planning choice is whether to pay for immediate treatment or field a reserve while someone recovers. It depends on your resources and available operators, not a universal rule to spend or save every time. The base-building guide covers facilities and construction timing; the squad-size guide explains the reserve roster.
Source: EA · GameplayEA · Q&A