Claims Division About Permanent Impairment

Ruby Tate, Claims Manager
Email: [email protected]
Phoenix: 800 W Washington St, Phoenix AZ 85007 - Phone: (602) 542-4661
Tucson: 2675 East Broadway, Tucson AZ 85716 - Phone: (520) 628-5181
FAX (use for either office): (602) 542-3373

About Permanent Impairment

There are two kinds of permanent impairments, scheduled and unscheduled. Both types are paid on a monthly basis.

• A scheduled injury is to a specific body part and the Arizona Workers’ Compensation Law sets out a schedule indicating the amounts to be paid for these impairments. There is also compensation payable for visible facial scarring and loss of permanent teeth.
• An unscheduled injury is the result of a general impairment, a combination of impairments to different body parts injured in one incident, or a history of other permanent impairments. In these cases, the ICA determines what amount of compensation the injured worker is entitled to based on loss of earning capacity.

Many factors are involved in these decisions, such as limitations, education, work experience, etc. In some cases, there is no monetary award as the injured worker has returned to work earning the same or in excess of the established average monthly wage. These awards take approximately 90 days from the issuance of the notices by the insurance carrier.

The insurance carrier will review this type of award on a yearly basis, sending the injured worker an Annual Report of Income. Both the injured worker and insurance carrier have the right to file a Petition for Rearrangement. This petition requests the ICA to review the previous award and determine whether the monthly benefits should remain the same, increase, decrease or cease.