An Overview of Whole Person Ratings

When you are injured while working and sustain some type of permanent disability or impairment as a result of this injury:

• You will be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits.
• Compensation for your permanent impairment will be based on either an extremity rating or a whole person rating.

While extremity ratings are generally used in cases when the disability only affects a discrete portion of the body, whole person ratings are typically used when the impairment affects the individual’s entire body. In these cases, the specific injury and disability are usually very serious, as they impact both the person’s ability to earn a living and his overall quality of life.

Whole person ratings are:

• Determined by a person’s physician and are only assessed once the injured individual has reached his maximum medical improvement (The MMI refers to the fact that a person has recovered as much as possible with medical assistance from his injuries and that, even if he receive further treatments, he will still have certain impairments.)
• Set forth in the American Medical Association’s Guides to Evaluation of Permanent Impairment
• Used, along with a person’s age and salary prior to the injury, to determine the specific amount of benefits to which that individual will be entitled.

It’s important to point out that:

• In many cases, physicians miss the mark when it comes to assigning the proper whole person rating to an injured worker.
• In these situations, the injured worker may have his benefits significantly undercut and should consult with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney who can help him secure the full amount of benefits that he deserves.

Denver Workers’ Compensation Attorneys

Workers who suffer a personal injury on the job desire competent medical treatment and compensation to cover their lost wages as a result of their injuries. Because workers’ compensation requirements can be rigorous and confusing for both workers and for self-insured corporations, it is important to obtain legal counsel to help navigate the obstacles.

With more than 30 years of combined workers’ compensation experience, the Denver workers’ compensation attorneys at the Law Office of Steven J. Picardi have extensive knowledge of Colorado workers’ compensation law, strong credentials and a significant record of success that consistently allowed them to effectively defend employers and represent injured employees in all phases of workers’ compensation litigation. Our firm’s lawyers remain abreast of the latest changes in workers’ compensation laws and are ready to use their skills and knowledge to your advantage.

For experienced legal advocacy in defending or filing a workers’ compensation claim, contact the Picardi Law Firm for a consultation by calling (303) 778-8881 or by emailing us using the form at the top of the screen.