Permanent Partial Disability (PPD)
Permanent injury to a body part. The amount of disability is described as a percentage of the body as a whole. The percentages determined by a doctor applying the permanent partial disability schedule found in Minnesota Rules Chapter 5223. A permanent partial disability rating is made by the employee’s doctor based on Schedules of Impairment formulated by the Department of Labor and Industry.
For example, Minn. R. 5223.0370 establishes the permanency to apply in the case of a back injury with radiating pain into the legs:
Radicular pain or paresthesia, with or without cervical pain syndrome, and with objective radicular findings, that is, hyporeflexia (decreased reflex) or EMG abnormality or nerve root specific muscle weakness in the upper extremity, on examination and myelographic, CT scan, or MRI scan evidence of intervertebral disc bulging, protrusion, or herniation that impinges on a cervical nerve root, and the medical imaging findings correlate anatomically with the findings on neurologic examination, nine percent (9%) with the addition of as many of subitems (1) to (4) as apply, but each may be used only once: (1) if chronic radicular pain or paresthesia persist despite treatment, add three percent (3%)
According to the permanency schedule in effect after 10-1-00, the multiplier for a 12% permanent partial disability rating is $85,000. $85,000 multiplied by 12% is $10,200. The multiplier for a 9% rating is $80,000, and the benefit would amount to $7,200. These benefits are paid weekly after TTD ends, but they can be paid as a lump sum with up to a 5% present value discount for the lump sum payment.
