A doctor’s statement that an injury is permanent doesn’t automatically establish a permanent partial disability award. In Virginia, PPD applies only to losses covered by Virginia Code § 65.2-503, and the medical records must establish both maximum medical improvement and a ratable impairment.
A PPD award also doesn’t mean a worker can no longer work. It’s a scheduled benefit tied to specified body parts and conditions, not a finding that someone is permanently unable to earn a living. This distinction becomes important when a worker receives an impairment rating.
What Permanent Partial Disability Means in Virginia
Permanent partial disability, often called PPD, provides compensation for a permanent loss, partial loss, or loss of use involving a body part or condition listed in Virginia’s statutory schedule.
Maximum medical improvement, or MMI, is the point at which the authorized treating physician finds that the condition isn’t expected to improve significantly. PPD can become relevant at that stage, but MMI alone isn’t enough. The worker must also have a ratable impairment involving a listed body part or condition.
PPD differs from temporary benefits, which replace part of lost wages while a worker is recovering or working with restrictions. It also differs from benefits for a permanent inability to work. Under Virginia Workers’ Compensation Commission guidance, that separate category applies in limited circumstances, including total paralysis, loss of function in more than one major listed body part, or a severe head injury that permanently prevents gainful employment.
Which Lasting Injuries Fit Virginia’s PPD Schedule
Virginia’s schedule doesn’t cover every permanent diagnosis. The law focuses on permanent loss or loss of use involving specified body parts and conditions.
Virginia Code § 65.2-503 includes scheduled awards involving:
- The thumb, fingers, hand, arm, foot, leg, and toes.
- Vision in an eye or hearing in an ear.
- Severely marked disfigurement.
- Specified occupational lung diseases.
A complete loss of use is treated like the loss of the affected member under the statute. A partial impairment receives a proportional award based on its percentage.
The spine, neck, back, and head aren’t listed for scheduled PPD awards. A permanent back or neck injury can still create a PPD issue if it causes a ratable impairment in an extremity such as an arm, hand, leg, or foot. The diagnosis alone isn’t decisive. The medical evidence must connect it to a qualifying impairment.
Medical Records Needed After MMI
The authorized treating physician’s records are central to a PPD claim. The Commission requires a medical report that confirms MMI and states the percentage of impairment to the ratable body part.
An impairment rating is the doctor’s percentage assessment of permanent functional loss. A rating greater than 0% for a ratable extremity may support scheduled compensation. The report should identify the affected member rather than simply note ongoing pain or restrictions.
For an Extremity Impairment
Keep the physician’s MMI statement, the impairment rating report, and records identifying the affected body part. If the rating is unclear, ask whether the report gives a percentage for the listed member at issue.
For Scarring
Disfigurement claims require clear color photographs of the well-healed scarred area and medical confirmation that MMI has been reached.
For Amputation
An amputation claim requires a chart marking the exact point of amputation. The location matters because the statutory schedule assigns compensation according to the affected member.
A disputed or incomplete impairment rating can directly affect the length and value of an award. Before accepting a proposed rating, compare it with the medical report and confirm that it addresses the correct body part.
How Virginia Calculates Scheduled Benefits
A scheduled award depends on three inputs: the impairment percentage, the number of weeks assigned by statute to the affected body part, and the worker’s compensation rate.
The basic calculation is:
PPD Calculation
Impairment rating × scheduled weeks for the affected body part × compensation rate.
The compensation rate is generally two-thirds of the worker’s pre-injury average weekly wage, subject to Virginia’s statutory maximum and minimum limits. Average weekly wage generally refers to the earnings figure used to establish wage-replacement benefits after a work injury.
A 10% impairment rating doesn’t provide 10% of prior wages for an unlimited period. Instead, the rating is multiplied by the statutory weeks for the affected member and then by the applicable weekly rate. The body part therefore matters as much as the rating percentage.
Virginia limits the combined duration of temporary total disability, temporary partial disability, and PPD benefits to 500 weeks. Time already paid for temporary disability can affect the weeks available for a scheduled award.
Payment Terms & Filing Protection
Scheduled compensation is payable after temporary total incapacity payments under Virginia Code § 65.2-500. The timing and payment terms should be clear before an award agreement is signed.
The benefit may be paid over time. The Commission’s 2026 award form also asks whether the parties agree to a lump-sum payment with a 4% discount deducted. The discount isn’t automatic; it’s an agreed payment term shown on the form.
A lump sum changes when the money is received but doesn’t resolve every issue in the claim. Before choosing weekly payments or a lump sum, review:
- The impairment rating and body part used in the calculation.
- The average weekly wage and weekly rate used for the award.
- Whether medical benefits or other unresolved claims remain open.
Workers should protect the underlying claim from the start. Our guidance notes that a Virginia worker generally has two years from the date of injury to file a claim. That general filing deadline shouldn’t be confused with the later medical and procedural steps involved in pursuing PPD.
Reviewing a PPD Claim Before You Sign
Legal guidance can be useful after the authorized treating physician declares MMI, when an impairment rating appears incomplete, or when an insurer presents an agreement for signature. At each point, the rating, affected body part, payment calculation, and remaining benefits should fit together.
We handle workers’ compensation claims involving on-the-job injuries, including construction injuries and other workplace injuries. Our representation includes:
- Temporary and permanent disability benefits, whether total or partial.
- Medical benefits, death benefits, and vocational rehabilitation.
For more than 30 years, we have represented injured workers and reviewed the medical evidence, calculations, and proposed payment terms behind their claims. Law Office Of Andrew S. Kasmer represents injured workers in Fairfax and Prince William Counties. Call (571) 350-8562 for a free, confidential consultation about your claim.