The Basics of Workers Compensation Impairment Ratings

We often hear the phrase “impairment rating” when there is a discussion of an employee’s workers compensation claim. Most people understand impairment means the employee was hurt and unable to work, but do not fully understand how impairment impacts a workers compensation claim. Impairment is a problem in the function of a body part. It can be either temporary or permanent. When it is temporary, the employee is unable to work while recovering from the injury. When the impairment is permanent, the employee retains a residual of the injury after the medical treatment has ended.