Workers' comp permanent disabilityAfter an on-the-job accident, Georgia workers' compensation provides medical and partial wage replacement benefits to help injured workers recover and return to the workforce.

Unfortunately, while many people make a full recovery, others are left with permanent disabilities that threaten to keep them out of work indefinitely.


If this happened to you, you may be entitled to permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits, which are available once temporary total disability (TTD) or temporary partial disability (TPD) payments stop. Rather than compensation for lost wages, PPD benefits are intended to compensate workers for the loss of a body part, loss of use of a body part, or impairment of the body as a whole.

PPD benefits are paid weekly, based on the type and extent of your permanent disability, as rated by your authorized treating physician, using the American Medical Association's Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment. Your doctor's rating determines, by body part, how long you can receive PPD benefits, which are two-thirds of your average weekly wage.

For example, the maximum number of weeks you can receive PPD benefits for the following injuries are:

  • 20 weeks for the loss of a small toe
  • 30 weeks for the loss of the big toe
  • 25 weeks for the loss of a little finger
  • 30 weeks for the loss of a ring finger
  • 35 weeks for the loss of a middle finger
  • 60 weeks for the loss of a thumb
  • 75 weeks for the traumatic loss of hearing in one ear
  • 135 weeks for the loss of a foot
  • 150 weeks for the traumatic loss of hearing in both ears
  • 150 weeks for the loss of vision of one eye
  • 160 weeks for the loss of a hand
  • 225 weeks for the loss of an arm or leg
  • 300 weeks for disability to the body as a whole

Additionally, some permanent disabilities—such as neck or back impairment—are evaluated as disability to the whole body.

Discuss Your Case With an Experienced Georgia Workers' Comp Attorney

If you have a permanent disability after a workplace accident, let Rechtman & Spevak's skilled workers' compensation attorneys help you fight for the PPD benefits you deserve. Contact us today to schedule an appointment for a free, no-obligation consultation.