Permanent Partial Disability (PPD)
The injury award — money for the damage done to your body
PPD is the monetary award for the permanent damage your work injury has caused. It pays for documented limitations in physical function — and can be increased if your condition worsens.
Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) is the monetary award you receive for the permanent — but partial — damage your injury has done to your body. Unlike a personal injury claim, Ohio workers’ compensation does not pay for pain and suffering. Instead, PPD pays for the documented limitations in your range of motion and physical function. But, unlike a personal injury claim lump sum settlement, PPD increases can be requested throughout the life of an Ohio BWC claim.
A physician examines your ability to rotate, extend, flex, and otherwise use your injured body parts. Ohio BWC uses the American Medical Association’s Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment to set an impairment percentage, which hearing officers then convert into a PPD rating and dollar award.
Important: If your PPD percentage increases over time as your condition worsens, you can file for an increase to your prior PPD award. This is a commonly missed benefit — especially in older claims where conditions have deteriorated years after the initial award.
PPD can be pursued after you reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) — and it is entirely separate from TTD, Wage Loss, and/or Living Maintenance. MMI is not the end of the road. Think of MMI as the beginning of a new phase in the life of your Ohio BWC claim.
Want to know what your PPD award could be worth?