When you\’re making a disability claim you\’ll probably find yourself confronted with a lot of terminology you don\’t understand, including being left trying to figure out whether or not you\’re actually partially disabled, or totally disabled in the first place. Then to confuse matters even worse is the category of temporary total disability, leaving you with more questions than answers when trying to complete your claim.
The purpose of this article is to provide you with some very clear, and easy-to-understand definitions that you can make use of when actually processing your disability claim.
Permanent Total Disability
This is when you can no longer perform any work of any kind due to the injury or medical condition you\’re currently managing. A typical example of permanent total disability (PTD) is when a person loses both hands, arms, eyes or legs in an accident and is no longer capable of contributing to the workforce, or earning a wage, in any way at all. If you were to lose an entire arm and leg in an accident this would also qualify you to make a permanent total disability claim. There is no limit to the number of weeks you can make this type of claim for.
Permanent Partial Disability
This type of disability means that you are unable to perform your work function at full capacity due to illness or injury. A typical example of a permanent partial disability (PPD) would be losing the use of a hand, knee or foot, or suffering from an injury to the heart, brain, lungs or spine. Typically this type of disability will be paid if the person involved is unable to use that part of their body in the same way they had before the incident which caused their injury. There is a maximum of 525 weeks of payment for disabilities of this type.
Temporary Total Disability
A disability of this type is when your ability to earn a wage is reduced to zero due to your disability, but this is only a temporary situation. There is a payment limitation of 341 weeks in claims of this type, although this can be as low as 262 weeks depending on where you\’re living in the United States. Typical example of injuries which result in TTD claims are broken bones, or serious soft tissue injuries which take several months to heal.
When it comes down to the real differences between total and partial disability it\’s about the level of compensation you can expect to receive. For example partial disability will include compensation for loss of earnings due to injury, but at a lower rate than a total disability claimant because a person who is partially disabled is still capable of working and earning a wage – or should be to at least some extent
Total disability means that you receive the same level of compensation as a partial disability claimant, but you\’re also compensated for future loss of earnings based on the fact that it is highly unlikely that you will ever be able to return to the workforce because of your injury.
Regardless of what type of disability claim you\’re about to make you need to ensure that you have all your documents, statements and medical records ready in advance. The better prepared you are for making a claim of this type, then the more smoothly the claim itself tends to be.
Disability claims can be something of a legal minefield, so it\’s always wise to seek professional legal advice well in advance of making your claim.