Posted on Monday, July 29th, 2024 at 11:11 am
Permanent partial disability (PPD) is one of four types of disability compensation you can receive after a workplace injury. The other three are temporary partial disability (TPD), temporary total disability (TTD), and permanent total disability (PTD).
If you suffered a workplace injury and reached your maximum medical improvement (MMI) but are not back to 100%, you may qualify for PPD benefits. Seek help from a Georgia workplace compensation lawyer at Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C..
What Does PPD Compensate Injured Workers For?
PPD compensates injured workers who have a permanent disability or loss of a body part that only partially affects their ability to work. If you lost your left hand in a workplace accident but can still perform work in a lessened capacity or a different role, for example, you could receive PPD benefits.
How Is PPD Compensation Calculated?
In Georgia, calculating your PPD depends on three key factors: your workers’ compensation rate, the injured body part, and your percentage of disability. Your attorney can assist you in determining your workers’ compensation rate and maximum weeks of compensation. Only your treating physician can assess your percentage of disability, however.
Workers’ Compensation Rate
Your workers’ compensation rate is the baseline amount you receive for your injury. Generally, your workers’ compensation rate will be two-thirds of your average weekly wage. There are, however, maximum and minimum amounts.
According to Georgia law, you cannot receive more than $800 or less than $50 per week through workers’ compensation. If your workers’ compensation rate is above that maximum, it is set at the maximum. And if your rate would be below that minimum, it is set at the minimum.
The majority of workers will fall somewhere in the middle.
Maximum Weeks of Compensation
Your maximum weeks of compensation depend on the specific body part disabled by your injury. Each body part has a set maximum number of weeks for which you can collect PPD benefits. To determine your maximum weeks of compensation, use the following list:
- Whole Body – 300 Weeks
- Arm – 225 Weeks
- Leg – 225 Weeks
- Hand – 160 Weeks
- Eye (including loss of vision) – 150 Weeks
- Foot – 135 Weeks
- Ear (including loss of hearing) – 75 Weeks
- Thumb – 60 Weeks
- Index Finger – 40 Weeks
- Middle Finger – 35 Weeks
- Ring Finger – 30 Weeks
- Big Toe – 30 Weeks
- Little Finger – 25 Weeks
- Other Toe – 20 Weeks
Remember that these values represent the maximum number of weeks you can recover compensation. If you lost an arm, you could recover compensation for up to 225 weeks, but your actual number of weeks of compensation depends on your percentage of disability.
Additionally, losing vision in both eyes or any combination of two arms, legs, hands, or feet will result in a presumptive determination of permanent total disability instead of permanent partial disability.
Percentage of Disability
After reaching your maximum medical improvement, your treating physician will assess your percentage of disability. Your maximum medical improvement is the point beyond which additional treatment will not further your recovery.
Through this assessment, your doctor will calculate your percentage of disability based on your ability to use the injured body part. If you lost your hand completely, for example, your percentage of disability would be 100%. If your hand was crushed and still has some mobility, however, your percentage of disability might only be 85%.
PPD Calculation Example
Now that you know the three main components of PPD compensation, let’s look at an example. Let’s say that you suffered an injury to one of your hands that left it 60% disabled, and you were earning $900 per week pre-injury.
First, you multiply your pre-injury average weekly wage ($900) by two-thirds to get your workers’ compensation rate of $600. Second, you multiply your maximum weeks of compensation (160 weeks) by your percentage of disability (60%) to get 96 weeks of compensation.
Finally, you multiply your workers’ compensation rate ($600) by your weeks of compensation (96 weeks) to get your total compensation amount of $57,600.
Remember that this compensation is only for your loss, not the injury that led to the loss. You would still receive additional workers’ compensation benefits to cover your medical treatment and lost wages before your permanent partial disability benefits come into the picture.
Contact Our Atlanta, Georgia Workers’ Compensation Attorney
Were you injured on the job in Atlanta, Georgia? Have you suffered the loss or permanent disability of one or more body parts? Contact Jonathan R. Brockman, P.C. online or at (770) 205-8827 for a free consultation with one of our experienced workers’ compensation lawyers. We’ll evaluate your case and help you determine the worth of your injury. Our attorneys have experience in dealing with similar notable cases with favorable results.