After months of treatment, your permanent disability benefits come down to a single number: the impairment rating. Understand it, because the insurance company certainly does.
What the rating is
At maximum medical improvement, a doctor assigns a permanent impairment percentage — to a body part or the whole person — using standardized medical guides. That percentage plugs into your state’s formula:
- Georgia: the percentage converts to a number of weeks of permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits paid at your weekly rate.
- Florida: the percentage drives impairment income benefits on its own statutory schedule.
Same injury, different rating, very different money. A few percentage points routinely swing outcomes by thousands of dollars.
Why ratings come in low
The rating is assigned by the authorized treating physician — the doctor from the employer’s panel (GA) or the carrier’s authorization chain (FL). These doctors get workers’ comp referrals from insurers year after year. Most are honest; the structural pressure is real anyway. Low ratings are common, and they’re rarely corrected unless someone pushes.
How ratings get challenged
- A second opinion through your physician-change right
- An independent medical examination
- A ratings dispute in litigation, where competing medical opinions are weighed
Documentation wins these fights: consistent treatment records, honest symptom reporting, and a doctor who actually examined the right body parts under the right guide edition.
If your rating just arrived — especially with a settlement offer stapled to it — have it checked free before you sign anything.
Quick answers
What is a workers' comp impairment rating? +
A percentage assigned by a doctor at maximum medical improvement representing your permanent loss of function, based on standardized medical guides. The percentage feeds a statutory formula that determines weeks of permanent disability benefits.
Can I challenge a low impairment rating? +
Yes. Ratings are medical opinions. Depending on the state, you can pursue a second opinion through a physician change, an independent medical exam, or a ratings dispute in litigation. Small percentage differences can mean thousands of dollars.
