What Is the Workers Comp Disability Rating Scale
No one goes to work one day thinking that they may be injured so severely that they won’t be able to later work for a living. And while it isn’t a given that you may be injured at work, it is a statistical potentiality. Bureau of Labor Statistics data reveals that almost three out of every 100 American workers are injured on the job so badly they can’t continue working. In 2019, that was the equivalent of 888,220 American workers missing at least one day of work due to a workplace injury.
Every state has its version of workers’ compensation laws that dictate how people can file a claim. So, you need to know what you are doing when you file a claim. If your claim is denied, you can try to reopen it, which is time exhausting and extremely difficult to accomplish.
And even if you could get a workers compensation claim reopened, that within itself is no guarantee that you will succeed the second time. Hopefully, with the aid of a good lawyer, you must get the filing process for a workers’ compensation claim right the first time.
While many Americans count on worker’s compensation as a wage replacement to survive, it is also essential to understand the other perspective. Workers’ compensation is workplace insurance coverage that financially protects employers against paying the expenses of employees injured in the workplace.
Have you ever considered the bureaucratic metrics and considerations that go into evaluating and approving a workers’ compensation claim?
This is not about sympathy for employers and businesses that don’t have a financial incentive to support you – it’s about understanding the claim filing process better for your benefit.
Have you ever heard of the workers’ comp disability ratings scale?
It’s a rating system that determines the severity of your work-related injury, informs the amount of your eventual compensation, assesses when you can go back to work, and gets everyone involved on the same page relative to your condition.
It takes a lot of bureaucratic cooperation for a worker to get their workers’ compensation claim approved – no one person makes that evaluation independently. If you are filing a claim, you should understand how the workers’ comp disability rating scale works.
If you need help filing for worker’s compensation, contact Invictus Law today.
Related: STEPS TO DOCUMENT YOUR WORK INJURY
The Workers Comp Disability Rating Scale
Every state has different rules concerning workers’ compensation, the approval process for claims, and how long workers can receive their benefits.
The typical worker receives workers’ compensation for anywhere between three and seven years.
The average worker receives $41,000 in worker compensation benefits in an approved claim. However, that amount can sometimes go as high as $78,400.
And some workers receive a type of workers compensation called “permanent total disability.” Even though it is not commonplace, some workers are so severely and permanently injured in a workplace incident that they receive workers compensation for the rest of their lives.
The decision to award an employee workers compensation temporarily, partially, or permanently is never made cavalierly.
Everyone, from you, your employer, medical professionals, insurance investigators, and lawyers, need to understand the severity of the injuries involved.
And the primary metric that everyone relies on to have a baseline understanding of a workers’ compensation claim is the workers’ comp disability rating scale.
Impairment Rating Percentage Chart
The workers’ comp disability rating scale is a rating system that ranges from zero to 100. Also known as the impairment ratings percentage chart, the chart’s points determine the severity of the injury suffered on the job. If the worker can come back to work, the compensation amount and the length of time compensation will be paid.
It is doctors and medical professionals who determine the disability rating. However, that rating can then be challenged by an employer, insurance company, or worker, and a second medical opinion can be solicited.
The level of impairment or disability suffered in a workplace injury is assigned a percentage point. For example, if you slip in the workplace and break your leg, your injury is given a doctor’s rating.
So, if you suffer a hairline fracture in your leg, your doctor may assign you a rating of zero to 10%. If your disability rating score is zero, then it is unlikely that a workers’ compensation claim would be approved.
Any worker compensation disability rating below 50% means that if your claim is approved, then the length of compensation will be limited, usually less than five years.
But if your workers’ comp disability rating is over 50%, then you may qualify for workers compensation benefits lasting for as long as five to seven years.
A workers’ compensation disability rating of 100% means that the worker is so severely injured that they could never go back to work or enjoy the quality of life they had before the injury. And someone with a 100% disability rating probably endures chronic pain and suffering caused by the workplace injury.
So, depending on the residence state, a worker with a medically verifiable 100% disability rating would qualify for permanent total disability payments.
Get Help From a Legal Professional
Remember, just because your doctor decides about your workers’ comp disability rating does not mean that the issue is settled. Your employer may want their doctor to assess your records or your injuries.
The lawyers and insurance companies may want to assess and determine their standing on your disability rating. After all, the higher your workers’ comp disability rating, the more money your employer will have to pay for your claim.
The average workers’ compensation payment is at least 66% of the original wages. So, it may not be in everyone’s best interests to agree with your initial workers’ comp disability rating.
Don’t apply for workers’ compensation on your own. Contact Invictus Law today.
Related: WHAT WORKERS NEED TO KNOW BEFORE RETURNING TO WORK AFTER AN INJURY
