You may know that you can get partial wages and other benefits from workers' comp if you are unable to work at your job. Additionally, if you are found to be permanently disabled, you can expect to be paid a weekly benefit or lump sum to compensate you for your lifetime of being unable to earn a living. There is a pathway in between these two situations, however, where you are able to work and earn some money while still receiving some monetary benefits. For more information about dealing with a partial permanent disability, read on.

The Determination of a Partial Permanent Disability

At a certain point in your recovery, the workers' comp insurance company may request that you undergo a special medical exam to get more information about your medical condition. The results of this exam will determine whether or not your injury is at the point where further improvement is not expected, referred to as maximum medical improvement (MMI). If you have reached MMI, you will be deemed either permanently totally disabled or partially permanently disabled.

If you are deemed partially permanently disabled, your injury will be assigned a rating, which corresponds with the percentage of disability you have. For example, you may be deemed to be 25% disabled, which will be linked to your workers' comp payments thereafter.

Compensation for Permanent Partial Disabilities

Once the determination is made, you may be offered either weekly payments or a lump sum payment. You may be able to return to work in some capacity, and many states offer partially disabled workers rehabilitation training to assist in that goal. For example, if your foot was amputated in a workplace accident, you may be offered training for a more sedentary job, such as seated assembly line work or computer work. If you do return to work, you may be limited by the hours you may work and the amount of money you may earn.

Being deemed partially permanently disabled can be more confusing and complicated than a total disability, since it involves both limitations and allowances to work in some capacity. For example, you may have been deemed to be at a 75% partial disability, but feel that your level of disability is far more serious. If you disagree with the decision of the workers' comp insurance company or your state's workers' comp board, you may have the right to appeal the decision. Contact a workers' comp attorney for more information and to stand by your side and fight for your rights to a fair and complete workers' compensation package.