When a Pennsylvania resident suffers a work-related injury, they certainly hope to achieve a full recovery. Whether that happens depends on a variety of factors, including the severity and nature of the injury. If only a partial recovery is possible, it will undoubtedly affect an individual’s ability to return to the same job duties. Under these circumstances, they may also have to take a cut in pay, which is where permanent partial disability comes into play.
Many Pennsylvania workers do not quite understand how this particular benefit works, so a bit of explanation is in order. When a worker suffers an on-the-job injury, they are making a certain weekly wage. Upon returning to work with a permanent partial disability, that weekly wage may drop. The important factor is the difference between those two wages. Permanent partial disability provides the worker with approximately two-thirds of the difference between the pre and post-injury weekly wage up to the statutory maximum. Moreover, the weekly wage plus this compensation cannot exceed what the individual made prior to the injury.
Another restriction that applies is that this benefit is only available for a total of 500 weeks. A worker does not have to receive all 500 weeks consecutively, however. The only limitation is that it cannot exceed 500 weeks.
This is a different benefit from temporary total disability. An individual may have the choice between that benefit and permanent partial disability. Determining which would be more advantageous could prove problematic. For this reason alone, it would be wise to work with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to help ensure that an injured worker receives the best possible benefits.
