Unlike personal injuries cases, Workers’ Compensation cases allow no pain and suffering in its calculation of damages. Instead, settlements in Workers’ Compensation cases depend on an injured worker receiving a Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) Evaluation by an independent rating physician.
In order to obtain a PPD Evaluation, an injured worker must show:
- That he/she may have sustained a permanent disability/impairment as a result of his/her industrial injury and,
- His/Her treating physician must indicate he/she is stable and ratable.
If the injured worker does not meet these two criteria, an Insurer will close his/her claim without a PPD evaluation, and he/she will receive no settlement for his/her industrial injury. The purpose of a PPD Evaluation is to determine the percentage of impairment an injured worker has sustained as a result of an industrial injury.
Once an injured worker has a percentage of impairment determined by the independent physician who performs the PPD Evaluation, the Insurer must calculate a settlement award using factors such as the injured worker’s age, his/her average monthly wage, and the percentage of impairment.
Thus, a Permanent Partial Disability Evaluation is a critical step for any injured worker seeking to be compensated for any permanent disability/impairment he/she may have sustained a result of his/her industrial injury.
Insurers always attempt to close Workers’ Compensation cases without a PPD Evaluation in order to save costs, both in the present and in the future. Having represented Insurers for 13 years and Injured Workers for the past 16 years, we can help you navigate the difficult and often confusing Workers’ Compensation System and insure you receive all benefits you are legally entitled to receive.
If you’ve been injured on the job, contact us now for a free consultation to learn your rights and secure the compensation you deserve.