What are permanent partial disability benefits?
Permanent partial disability benefits are compensation for either the damage to a person’s body called “functional impairment” as determined by a physician making use of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment, 4th Edition, or a “work disability” which takes into consideration the loss of earning ability caused by the injury. Certain injuries are listed on a “schedule” and are known as scheduled injuries. No “work disability” is allowed for a scheduled injury. Thus, the loss of a leg, the loss of an arm, the loss of an eye, the loss of hearing in both ears, etc., are only compensated based upon the physical damage or “functional impairment” and no additional compensation is allowed for loss of earning capacity. Because this provision of the law is generally seen as harsh and unfair, the system is reasonably liberal in stretching the determination of the effect of a very serious or amputation scheduled injury thereby making a leg amputation not solely a leg injury, but
