After a person has been injured on the job in Greenville, they typically receive workers’ compensation benefits, including wage replacement and medical treatment coverage while they recover. However, at some point, their treating physician will determine they have reached maximum medical improvement (MMI). This does not mean that the injured worker is completely healed; it means that the doctor has determined that additional injury treatment is unlikely to improve the worker’s condition. What generally follows is an assessment of impairment ratings.
In Greenville, the assessment of impairment ratings involves several factors and impacts the amount of disability compensation an injured worker is able to receive for permanent loss of function due to their work-related injury. If you have questions about the impairment ratings you were given by your doctor, an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer could provide answers to those questions during a free case evaluation.
What Are Impairment Ratings?
South Carolina’s workers’ compensation laws require every worker who suffers an on-the-job injury to obtain an impairment rating so that the amount of disability benefits they are entitled to receive can be assessed. The impairment ratings are based on two factors, including the workers’ medical condition as well as their ability to work. Ratings are assessed on a 0-100 percentage scale, with 0% indicating that the worker has no permanent impairment and 100% indicating that the worker is permanently disabled.
When determining an impairment rating, a treating physician in Greenville bases their numbers on guidance issued by the American Medical Association. The physician will consider issues such as:
- Whether the injury required surgery
- The length of time the worker had been recovering from the injury
- Whether the injury caused a loss of range of motion or strength
- How the injury will impact the worker’s ability to perform the tasks of their job
A number of tests are performed during the assessment of impairment ratings, with the physician checking to see if:
- The worker’s impairment affects their ability to do basic tasks such as carrying or lifting
- More specific job tasks can be performed without difficulty
- Physical limitations exist that will interfere with most work-related tasks
How Do Impairment Ratings Impact Your Case?
Your Greenville impairment rating could be used by the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission to determine a disability award. The impairment rating could also be used by the injured worker and their attorney to show the need for additional compensation beyond what the commission has awarded. It is also used to determine the need for permanent work restrictions.
Questions About the Assessment of Impairment Ratings? Contact Eller Frye Law Firm in Greenville, SC
When a person suffers an on-the-job injury that results in permanent impairment to their strength and function, it not only affects their ability to work today, but also their ability to support themselves in the future. Because disability awards are based in part on medical impairment ratings in Greenville workers’ compensation cases, it is absolutely crucial that these ratings accurately reflect the totality of the worker’s medical condition.
If you have questions about the impairment ratings you received from your doctor and how they will impact your case, let our legal team provide you with a free case evaluation. An experienced workers’ compensation attorney could go over your ratings with you and help you determine the next step in seeking the compensation you need for your injury. Contact us today.
(864)-686-4827