Workers’ compensation in Kentucky helps employees who’ve been injured on the job or developed an occupational disease. It provides a range of benefits, including temporary total disability (TTD) and permanent partial disability (PPD) payments. TTD provides compensation during a worker’s recovery, while PPD compensates workers for a permanent loss of earning ability.
TTD vs. PPD in Kentucky: What Is the Difference?
The differences between temporary total disability vs. permanent partial disability benefits in Kentucky’s workers’ compensation system focus on the extent and duration of the disabilities they cover.
- TTD benefits provide partial reimbursement of lost wages an injured employee misses while recovering from an occupational injury or illness.
- PPD provides compensation to an injured worker who has recovered as fully as possible from the occupational injury but still has some permanent impairment that results in lost earning capacity.
How Long Does Temporary Total Disability Last in Kentucky?
How long does temporary total disability last while on workers’ comp in Kentucky? Under Kentucky’s workers’ compensation system, TTD benefits have no statutory maximum time limit. Functionally, they last until the worker reaches maximum medical improvement (MMI), the point at which further treatment will not meaningfully improve their condition.
When Does TTD End and PPD Begin?
TTD benefits typically end, and an employee may transition to PPD benefits, after a worker’s injury reaches maximum medical improvement (MMI). MMI occurs when doctors determine that no further treatment will likely lead to additional healing or improvement of an injury. TTD may also end when a worker’s doctor releases them to return to work, either with restrictions or to unrestricted full duty.
How Do Permanent Restrictions or Returning to Work Affect PPD Benefits?
Permanent restrictions left by a work injury, even if the restrictions do not preclude an employee from returning to work with accommodations, can determine the amount of the employee’s PPD benefits. A worker’s permanent restrictions will affect their impairment rating, which workers’ comp law uses to calculate PPD benefits.
How Are TTD and PPD Benefits Calculated in Kentucky?
The Kentucky workers’ comp system calculates TTD and PPD benefits based on an injured employee’s average weekly wage. Under KRS 342.140 of the workers’ comp law, an employee’s average weekly wage equals their pre-injury fixed weekly wage or divided fixed monthly or annual salary. However, for workers who earn an hourly or daily wage, the law calculates their average weekly wage by dividing the wages earned in a calendar quarter of 13 consecutive weeks within the past 52 weeks by 13.
Workers’ comp pays TTD benefits equal to two-thirds of an employee’s average weekly wage, subject to a cap and floor based on the state average weekly wage, according to KRS 342.730. For PPD benefits, employees receive a payment equal to two-thirds of their average weekly wage, subject to a cap, multiplied by the impairment rating assigned to the employee and a statutory factor associated with that rating.
When Should You Speak with a Kentucky Workers’ Comp Lawyer?
You can best protect your rights under the Kentucky workers’ comp system by speaking with an attorney as soon as possible after a workplace accident.
Contact Morgan, Collins, Yeast & Salyer today for a free consultation with a knowledgeable workers’ comp lawyer. We can fully explain the differences between TTD and PPD and help you pursue the benefits you need because of a disabling injury at work.
