Is Your Work Injury a Permanent Partial Disability?

What is considered a Permanent Partial Disability?

PPD is one of four categories of work injuries. The category that your injury falls under will determine whether and how you will be allowed to return to work.

• Temporary Total Disability: prevents you from working, but only for a limited amount of time. You may return to work when your doctor has determined that you have recovered from your injury.
• Temporary Partial Disability: prevents you from doing some, but not all, of your professional tasks for a limited amount of time. You may return to full duty after recovery.
• Permanent Total Disability: prevents you from returning to work, whether for your current employer or another employer. This category only applies to serious injuries such as limb loss, paralyzation or debilitating pain.
• Permanent Partial Disability: A permanent injury that partially impairs your ability to work. You may not be able to return to the same type of work, but you are able to work with the appropriate accommodation.

Most claims are PPD claims. In fact, half of all claims made by injured workers are PPD claims.

This is because there are many types of injury that can lead to a long-term but only moderately-debilitating injury.

Both physical and mental conditions MAY qualify.

What category applies to your work injury? Coming up, you’ll learn some of the types of injuries that have resulted in successful claims cases.

 

 

The Workplace Duties to Injury Relationship

Does a serious injury mean I can easily qualify for a settlement?

Unfortunately, no.

One important factor is the relationship of your sustained injury to your duties.

Whether or not you qualify depends on what type of work you do and what kind of job you have.

If your job doesn’t require a lot of motion and exertion, you may find it harder to make a claim than someone with a very physical job.

To use examples from above: carpal tunnel injuries severely cut back your pace in an office position, and can be considered a disability.

However, an office can easily accommodate a knee injury, while a construction site cannot. Your occupation determines whether you can no longer reasonably perform your work or not.

Who decides whether or not I am partially disabled?

The determination of disability is made by a doctor who will evaluate you and then assign you a rating based on your level of disability. A report will be sent to the workers’ compensation board. The board is the authority that makes the final decision about whether you’re disabled and how much compensation you can receive.

However, you need more than a good reason to complete a successful PPD claim. The board may not be willing to provide support or a settlement without scrutiny.

 

Will Workers’ Comp Accept My Claim?

You should be ready for the possibility of a long fight to get the settlement you deserve. Workers’ compensation claims are paid out by insurance companies, even though it is the board that will make the decision.

That gives your insurance provider an adversarial relationship with you despite the fact that you are their client. They will provide a lot of information to help the board make their decision, but that doesn’t mean they share your best interests. They may choose to provide only the information required by law and not any other medical or professional evidence that may help prove you are disabled.

 

Bringing your case to the board?

You should gather evidence yourself, and only rely on insurance company records to provide basic facts. You should keep complete copies of your medical information and remember to get any claim you get from your workplace or insurance company in writing.

You may need to consult with other experts including medical specialists or therapists. It can take a long time to determine the full extent of any serious personal injuries. Don’t rush your claim based on the first facts that you learn. Your insurance company may offer you a settlement immediately.

The amount of the settlement may seem large, but it may have to last you for the rest of your life. Don’t sign without getting advice. You should consult with a workman’s comp lawyer before you accept any agreement.