How an Impairment Rating Affects Your Workers’ Comp Claim in SC
Learn How Impairment Ratings Are Determined and How They Impact Your Workers’ Comp Benefits After a Work-Related Injury or Illness
If you’ve suffered a permanent work-related injury, illness, or disease in South Carolina, it’s crucial to understand how a workers’ compensation impairment rating can affect the value of your claim. Determined after reaching maximum medical improvement (MMI), this rating influences the amount and types of workers’ comp benefits you can receive.
As we navigate through the details, including the assignment and calculation of impairment ratings and their impact on your settlement, our goal is to provide you with the knowledge needed to ensure you’re fairly compensated for your injury.
If you have questions or want help maximizing your claim, reach out to the experienced Columbia work injury attorneys at Smith, Born, Leventis, Taylor & Vega for a free consultation.
What Is an Impairment Rating for Workers’ Comp?
A workers’ comp impairment rating is a percentage assigned to a worker by their treating physician that represents how much an occupational disease, illness, or injury has permanently affected their ability to function.
This rating is determined once a worker’s condition is no longer expected to improve, and it helps decide how much money they’ll receive from workers’ compensation. Essentially, it’s a way to measure the severity of a permanent work-related injury or illness in numerical terms.
When Is an Impairment Rating Assigned in Workers’ Comp Cases?
An impairment rating is typically assigned once the injured worker has reached what’s known as “maximum medical improvement” (MMI). MMI occurs when the treating physician determines that the worker’s condition has stabilized and is not expected to improve significantly with additional medical treatment.
The timing for reaching MMI can vary greatly depending on the nature and severity of the injury, ranging from several months to a year or more.
How Is Impairment Rating Calculated in South Carolina?
In South Carolina, the calculation of an impairment rating is generally based on guidelines established by the American Medical Association (AMA).
Here’s how the process typically works:
- Medical evaluation. After an injured worker has reached maximum medical improvement (MMI), a medical professional, usually the authorized treating physician, will evaluate the extent of the worker’s permanent impairment. This involves a thorough medical examination and review of the patient’s medical history, treatment received, and response to treatment.
- AMA guidelines. The physician uses the AMA Guides to assign an impairment rating. These guidelines provide standardized criteria for evaluating the extent of functional losses. The impairment rating is expressed as a percentage that reflects the degree to which the injury permanently affects the individual’s ability to perform daily activities, excluding work.
- Impairment rating. Impairment can be rated either as a specific body part impairment or as a whole person impairment. For example, an injury may result in a 15% impairment of the arm, which can then be converted into a whole-person impairment percentage based on the tables and formulas provided in the AMA Guides.
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