What tips should I keep in mind?

Get an independent medical examination (IME) if you disagree with the rating. The WPI rating uses the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment. You can negotiate a higher rating through your attorney.

Permanent Disability Rating Calculator

Estimate your permanent disability rating and corresponding workers compensation benefit based on impairment rating, age, occupation, and future earning capacity adjustment.

Whole Person Impairment Rating (%)(Rating assigned by your doctor using AMA Guides)

Age at Injury(Your age when the injury occurred)

Occupation Group(Physical demand level of your job)

Average Weekly Wage ($)(Your pre-injury weekly wage)

PD Weekly Rate ($)(Your state's PD weekly rate (varies by state))

Results

Visualization

How It Works

Permanent Disability (PD) ratings determine workers comp benefits for lasting impairments. A doctor assigns a Whole Person Impairment (WPI) rating using the AMA Guides, which is then adjusted for your age and occupation to produce a final PD rating. Higher ratings mean more weeks of benefits.

The Formula

Adjusted PD Rating = WPI x Occupation Factor x Age Factor

Variables

WPI — Whole Person Impairment rating from physician (0-100%)
Occupation Factor — Adjustment based on how the impairment affects your specific job (1.0-1.4)
Age Factor — Older workers face greater difficulty re-entering workforce (0.9-1.3)

Example

With 15% WPI, moderate occupation (1.2x), age 40 (1.1x): Adjusted PD = 15 x 1.2 x 1.1 = 19.8%. At $290/week for 79 weeks = $22,910 total PD award.

Tips

Get an independent medical examination (IME) if you disagree with the rating.
The WPI rating uses the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment.
You can negotiate a higher rating through your attorney.
PD awards can be paid as a lump sum or weekly installments.
Ratings above 70% may qualify you for a life pension in some states.