Fact Checked Whether you are hauling freight across I-94 or working a double shift at a Wisconsin hospital, a sudden and lasting work injury can derail your career. Wisconsin State law remains clear on how workers are compensated when an injury results in a permanent impairment. If your treating doctor determines you have reached end of healing, the physician assesses whether there is permanent disability. If so, the physician can assess a percentage of permanent partial disability and can assess the need for permanent work limitations.
Managing life with lasting limitations
Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) applies when you have reached the end of healing (MMI) but still face permanent impairment. You might return to the manufacturing floor or the delivery route, but your body is no longer at one hundred percent. Wisconsin uses a structured system to determine how much you receive for these changes. Permanent partial disability can involve disabling elements, such as ongoing pain, soreness, range of motion limitations, loss of strength, and activity limitations.
Moreover, the following factors can influence your PPD benefit amount:
- The percentage of disability a medical professional assigns to the injured body part (i.e., an assessment of how “wrecked” the body part is).
- The weekly rate set by Wisconsin law (based on the often tied to the date of injury; for example the weekly PPD rate for injuries in 2025 was $446/wk)
- The number of weeks assigned to that specific body part by statute
As an example, if a 2025 work injury results in a left shoulder surgery and the worker recovers with range of motion limitations and ongoing pain, the physician may assess PPD of 20%. The shoulder is “worth” 500 weeks of PPD benefits, so 20% is 100 weeks. At the weekly PPD rate of $446, the payout is a total of $44,600. (note that it is paid over 100 weeks).
These PPD payments provide a financial cushion as you adapt to your new physical reality. The benefits are usually paid out over a set period rather than for the rest of your life.
Support for when you can no longer work
Some injuries are so severe that returning to any form of gainful employment is no longer an option. Permanent Total Disability (PTD) benefits are for those who cannot re-enter the labor market in any stable capacity. This is the “highest” value for a claim in worker’s compensation law (as there is no compensation for pain and suffering). A PTD claim can occur, for example, if there is an older worker in a physically demanding trade where retraining for a desk job is not feasible.
Significantly, PTD cases—by law—are generally not available for workers with permanent impairment to their limbs. These are known as “scheduled” injuries, and a worker cannot pursue a loss of earning capacity benefit for such injuries (a finding that comes as quite a shock to a carpenter with a hand injury that cannot return to their profession!)
A vocational expert is needed to pursue a PTD claim. The expert will look at several to criteria determine if you qualify for these long-term benefits:
- The severity of your physical or mental limitations following the accident
- Your age, education level and previous work history
- Whether, given your restrictions and vocational factors, you can realistically maintain gainful employment
A judge ultimately decides if you are eligible for PTD benefits (it is not a guarantee via the litigation process).If you qualify, PTD benefits are significant. PTD benefits are 2/3 of the worker’s wages (tax free) for life. The benefits are not reduced at age 65. Medical expenses are also paid for life for a PTD claim. Thus, while difficult to obtain, PTD benefits are extremely important for a significantly impaired worker.
Pursuing the benefits you deserve
Whether you are eligible for PPD or PTD benefits, securing them is crucial for your well-being. However, it can be complicated, especially when you are also managing serious, permanent injuries. Working with an experienced attorney in these situations can be wise.
