Does OWCP settle compensation cases and pay out a lump sum?
No, instead a worker is eligible for monthly wage-loss compensation if disabled from employment. However, if the worker has a permanent impairment to an extremity of the body or to certain organs and has reached maximum improvement, the worker could be eligible for a schedule award in the nature of damages. A physician of the claimant’s choosing rates the degree of the permanent impairment. OWCP reviews the rating and, based on the claimant’s wage, awards compensation for the impairment.
