In Maryland, an injured worker may pursue permanent partial disability (“PPD”) benefits after reaching maximum medical improvement (“MMI”). A person is considered to be at MMI when they finish their medical treatment related to the work injury. PPD benefits are awarded in order to compensate an injured worker for the permanent impairment caused by the injury.
Even relatively minor soft tissue injuries result in some degree of permanency. Simply put, your body will never be exactly how it was prior to getting hurt at work. You may not be as strong as you used to be. You may have to deal with increased aches and pains. You may develop arthritis sooner than you would have, had you not gotten injured on the job. This is why you are entitled to PPD.
When an injured worker receives an award of PPD benefits, (as opposed to a full and final settlement), they retain the right to reopen the case in the future if they experience a worsening of condition. This is the benefit to getting PPD rather than settling, because settlements almost always closes out the case forever. Below are a few examples of recent examples of some PPD awards:
- Injury: concussion, hearing loss
- Body Part: head and neck
- Amount: $38,118.75
- Claimant fell and hit her head on a metal sink at work. She suffered a severe concussion that resulted in headaches, dizziness and hearing loss. The Claimant underwent a course of vestibular therapy and was referred for surgery due to her hearing loss.
- Injury: concussion; humerus fracture
- Body Part: head and shoulder
- Amount: $32,585
- Claimant slipped and fell at work and injury her head and shoulder. Her fractured shoulder was treated conservatively with rest and physical therapy. Her postconcussive headaches were treated with medication.
- Injury: tear of the supraspinatus tendon and labrum; L5-S1 disk bulge
- Body Part: shoulder, back ribs
- Amount: $46,305
- Claimant was injured when he was hit in the back with an excavator bucket and knocked into a ditch. Claimant underwent surgery followed by physical therapy for the shoulder. He was referred for injections for the lumbar spine.
- Injury: tear of the ulnar collateral ligament of the MP joint
- Body Part: thumb
- Amount: $12,500
- Claimant slipped and fell at work and injured her thumb trying to catch herself. She underwent a surgical repair; specifically, MP joint collateral ligament reconstruction with a tendon graft using the palmaris longus tendon. Postoperatively she underwent a course of hand therapy.
- Injury: type V acromioclavicular joint separation
- Body Part: shoulder
- Amount: $46,315
- Claimant injured his shoulder pushing a heavy piece of equipment. He underwent surgical repair of the shoulder followed by a course of therapy. He developed a postoperative infection that needed to be drained and treated with antibiotics
- Injury: interphalangeal joint dislocation
- Body Part: thumb
- Amount: $14,920.52
- Claimant’s hand got caught in a vending machine during the course of employing, resulting in a near amputation of the thumb. He was transported by ambulance to the hospital where surgical repair involving placement on pins was performed. Following removal of the pins Claimant underwent a course of occupational therapy.
- Injury: fifth metatarsal fracture
- Body Part: foot
- Amount: $6,450
- Claimant twisted her ankle on a manhole cover and fractured a bone in her foot. She was placed in a walking boot until the bone healed. She missed 6 weeks from work.
- Injury: disfigurement/scarring
- Body Part: back and arm
- Amount: $43,875
- Claimant was burned in the course of employment when the vehicle that he was working on started smoking and caught fire. He was compensated for the large, permanent scar that developed as a result of the burns.
- Injury: strain; posterior tibial tendon rupture
- Body Part: back and ankle
- Amount: $29,312.50
- Claimant injured her back and ankle during the course of her employment as a nurse. Her back injury was treated with rest and medication. Her ankle injury required surgical repair of the tear and post-op physical therapy.
- Injury: strain; contusion
- Body Part: elbow and knee
- Amount: $8,250
- Claimant sustained injury to her elbow and knee when she fell at work. Her treatment include one injection for the knee and two injections for the elbow. She did not have any physical therapy.
- Injury: crush injury
- Body Part: hand
- Amount: $8,385
- Claimant’s hand was crushed when a heavy table fell on it. Xrays were negative for fractures. Claimant underwent an extensive course of therapy and missed 4 months from work.
- Injury: rotator cuff tear
- Body Part: shoulder
- Amount: $42,900
- Claimant sustained injury when she slipped and fell at work. She underwent surgical repair of the rotator cuff and labral debridement. Postoperatively she underwent extensive physical. Claimant retired shortly after her injury.
