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When Do Workers Compensation PPD Checks Stop?

Many people get a little confused when they start receiving permanent partial disability benefit (PPD) checks.  One of the main reasons for confusion is they do not understand why they are receiving these checks or how long they will last.

Hopefully, this article will give you a better understanding of how long you will receive PPD checks.  Before we get into that though, it helps to have a good understanding of what PPD benefits are.

Female doctor examines elderly patients neck with collar Why am I receiving permanent partial disability benefits?

Permanent partial disability benefits are the way that Georgia workers compensation pays you for permanent impairment that you suffer as a result of an injury at work.  In order for you to start receiving these benefits, usually two things have to happen:

  1. You reach maximum medical improvement (also known as MMI), and
  2. You are not currently receiving temporary total disability or temporary partial disability benefits

In Georgia, doctors give you what is called a permanent partial disability rating.  That rating is a percent impairment to a particular part of your body.  It will be given one of two ways:

  1. To your body as a whole, or
  2. To a specific part of your body (such as the hand, upper extremity, lower extremity, etc.)

In a Georgia workers compensation case, doctors are required to use a specific book that is published by the American Medical Association when giving you this rating. That book is called the American Medical Association’s Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment.  Doctors are required to use the fifth edition of that book.

When do my permanent partial disability benefits stop?

How long your receive permanent partial disability benefits depends on two things:

  1. What part of your body is rated, and
  2. The percentage of the rating

If an insurance company has started paying you permanent partial disability benefits, they should have filed a Form WC-2.  That form should give you some information that will help you calculate when your permanent partial disability benefits will stop.


On the form, the insurance company will indicate the PPD rating given to you by the doctor.  It should specify the percentage of the rating and the body part rated.  They should also attach a copy of the medical record from the doctor that gave you the PPD rating so you can make sure it is right.

The insurance company should also fill in the number of weeks of benefits that they are going to pay to you and when the benefits are going to start.  So, you can use this information to calculate when your benefits should stop.

What if the insurance company does not file a Form WC-2?

Unfortunately, insurance companies do not always follow the workers compensation rules.   When the insurance company does not follow the rules, they can face penalties and attorney’s fees.

Even if the insurance company does not follow the rules, you can still determine when your PPD checks will stop.  Knowing how to do this will also help you make sure that the insurance company did the calculations right.

You do this by determining the number of weeks of benefits that you will receive based on the rating that you get from your doctor.  Each type of rating has a certain amount of weeks of benefits associated with it.  I am going to discuss the most common rating in this article, but there are others as well.

Light duty job 2 The most common type of PPD rating is to the body as a whole.  A 100 percent rating to the body as a whole is worth 300 weeks of permanent partial disability benefits.

What that really means is that every percent that you are rated to the body as a whole entitles you to three weeks of PPD benefits.  For example, if your doctor gives you a 10% permanent partial disability rating to the body as a whole, you’ll receive 30 weeks of permanent partial disability benefits.  That would be three weeks of benefits for every one percent that the doctor rates you.

Can I get temporary total disability benefits again after I start receiving PPD benefits?

Yes.  You can still receive temporary total disability benefits again.  You could also potentially receive temporary partial disability benefits.

To receive PPD benefits, you cannot currently be receiving either temporary total or temporary partial disability benefits.  But, something could happen in your case that entitled you to these benefits again.

The most common thing that would happen is your doctor taking you out of work.  This could happen if you need surgery or if your condition worsens.

There is one very important thing that you need to know about both temporary total disability benefits and temporary partial disability benefits.  Georgia law has a statute of limitations which can bar your right to receive either of these benefits if you go to long without receiving them.

What if I have other questions about workers compensation?

Georgia’s workers compensation system can be very confusing.  You have to worry about getting the treatment you need and paying your bills while also worrying about not missing any deadlines that could cause you to lose your right to receive workers compensation benefits.

If you have questions, I would recommend that you try to get answers.  To find out more about how to schedule a time to talk to me about your workers compensation questions, just read this short article.

Jason Perkins is an attorney who specializes in representing injured workers.  He regularly publishes videos and write blog articles about Georgia’s workers compensation system and issues that are important to injured workers and their families.

To be notified of Jason’s new workers compensation videos, subscribe to his Georgia Workers Compensation Video Series channel on YouTube by clicking the subscribe button below.

Brittney-lee orourkeBrittney-lee orourke
05:23 18 Feb 22
Amazing! Jason and his team were very helpful and had the best communication by far. Walked me though every step with great detail and had answers for any question I had. They handled my case better then I could imagine, it was a weird case and they stayed on top of it and kept me updated every step of the way! Highly recommend this Team! Thanks so much to Jason and his Awesome team!-Brittney
China JonesChina Jones
18:58 08 Feb 22
I absolutely love this group of attorneys, when I was at my lowest they did everything they could to help me get justice for my injury. I believe if I were to have never picked my phone up and called the amazing group that helped me I definitely would not have received my idea of rights. If you have an issue and are just not sure please understand that they will help you, stay in contact, answer any question you have, and for sure get you the justice you deserve I thank them from the bottom of my heart and I will definitely refer them to anyone who has been hurt because they most definitely care about their work and clients.
Luv LocsLuv Locs
16:08 15 Jan 22
The entire law office was attentive and responsive to all of my concerns dealing with my workers compensation case.
moombimoombi
21:14 02 Jan 22
If you must get a lawyer involved, you’d do well to work with Jason Perkins and his team at Perkins Studdard Law.They were thorough in gathering information and in sharing all the steps in the workers comp process specific to my case. Jason and the team were responsive to my bevy of questions and concerns.I appreciated the informative videos and consultations provided by Jason over video meetings and multiple phone calls.I hope I’m never injured on the job again. However, if I am and if my employer responds as my previous employer did, I’ll contact Perkins Studdard Law immediately to handle the case.
Dana BessDana Bess
23:57 10 Dec 21
Everyone at Perkins Studdard was kind and professional. They were always extremely responsive and answered all questions that I had and followed up to make sure I had an understanding of what was going on along with emailing videos to explain every step of my case so I would know what to expect and be prepared. Jason is a very genuine person and I trusted him with my case. He answered so many questions for me even before I retained him as my WC lawyer. I highly recommend him and his associates at Perkins Studdard.
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