Mississippi Impairment Rating Payout Calculator
If you’ve been injured on the job in Mississippi and have reached Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI), your doctor may assign an impairment rating. This rating, a percentage, reflects the degree of permanent functional loss you’ve sustained. This calculator helps estimate potential Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) benefits based on that rating and your Average Weekly Wage (AWW).
Disclaimer: This tool provides an estimate for informational purposes only and should not be considered legal or financial advice. Workers’ compensation laws are complex. Consult with a qualified Mississippi workers’ compensation attorney for advice specific to your situation.
Understanding Your Mississippi Impairment Rating Payout
In Mississippi, after a work-related injury, once your medical condition stabilizes and is unlikely to improve further, you’ve reached “Maximum Medical Improvement” (MMI). At this point, a physician will assess if you have any permanent impairment. This is often expressed as a percentage of loss to a body part or to the body as a whole.
How Benefits are Calculated (Simplified for Unscheduled Injuries):
- Compensation Rate: Your weekly PPD benefit is typically two-thirds (2/3 or approximately 66.67%) of your Average Weekly Wage (AWW) at the time of injury.
- State Maximum: However, this weekly benefit cannot exceed a maximum amount set by Mississippi law, which is updated periodically. For 2024, the maximum weekly PPD benefit is $561.31.
- Duration of Benefits (Unscheduled): For permanent impairments that are not listed on Mississippi’s “schedule of injuries” (e.g., injuries to the spine, neck, or “body as a whole”), the law allows for up to 450 weeks of PPD benefits. Your impairment rating percentage is applied to these 450 weeks to determine the number of weeks you are eligible for.
Example: A 10% impairment rating to the body as a whole would equate to 10% of 450 weeks = 45 weeks of PPD benefits. - Total Payout: The total estimated payout is your (potentially capped) weekly PPD benefit multiplied by the number of eligible weeks.
Est. Weekly PPD = MIN( (AWW * 2/3), State Max Weekly Benefit )
Est. Benefit Weeks = 450 weeks * (Impairment Rating % / 100)
Est. Total Payout = Est. Weekly PPD * Est. Benefit Weeks
What This Calculator Does:
This tool takes your AWW and impairment rating to estimate:
- Your potential weekly PPD benefit amount (considering the state maximum).
- The number of weeks these benefits might last (based on the 450-week maximum for unscheduled injuries).
- The total estimated PPD compensation.
Important Note on Scheduled Injuries: Mississippi has a specific “schedule” that assigns a set number of weeks for permanent loss or loss of use of certain body parts (e.g., hand, arm, foot, eye). If your injury is a scheduled injury, the calculation method is different, and this calculator may not be accurate. Always consult with an attorney.