Legal Question in Workers Comp in California

WISH I HAD A CRYSTAL BALL for you...

MAYBE THE AMOUNT WILL BE ZERO.

Maybe more.

If the Treating Physician or the Panel QME write that your hand has Whole Person Impairment, you could get an award.

If they write you have fully recovered with zero Whole Person Impairment, you get zero.

For time lost from work you get 2/3 of your 'average' wage as your Temporary Disability payment.

As soon as the Treater Doc writes you can return to light duty, the insurance adjuster cuts off the Temporary Disability (whether or not the boss finds light work for you).

Then when the Treater Doc writes a final report that has some Whole Person Impairment, you MIGHT get Permanent Disability Indemnity payments.

For Example, a 35-yr-old Janitor with a middle finger range-of-motion problem resulting in 2% Whole Person Impairment (WPI) would be found to have 2% Permanent Disability, which amounts to $1,380 paid over 6 weeks.