PPD Rating – Time to File Issues

This article explains what happens when I receive your permanent partial disability (PPD) rating from our doctor. Please read it over, and call me if you have any questions.

As you know, we sent you to a doctor to get a PPD rating. I just received it. Here is what happens from this point on.

We file for a hearing before the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission. In Maryland, when you request a hearing before the Commission, you have to file “issues.” We will do that very soon. The “issues” we file will be asking the Workers’ Compensation Commision to determine how much of a PPD rating you should get in this case.

As you should know, that PPD rating is plugged into a formula set out in the Maryland Workers’ Compensation statute, and through that convoluted process it turns into a certain sum of money that goes to you. Many people call it their “settlement” (although it is not technically a settlement).

The Workers’ Compensation Commission will send you a computer generated notice called “Notice of Issues Filed.” This simply tells you they got your filing, and your case is in line for a hearing.

Later (sometimes a couple of months later) the Workers’ Compensation Commission will send another notice that gives us your hearing date. It will be set for 9:30 am and will likely be set at the Southern Maryland Regional Hearing site in La Plata (or at the Beltsville site if you live in Upper Marlboro or work for PG County). I will be in touch with you when this happens, and I have a whole other article (a much longer one) about what happens at a hearing, how to find it, and how to prepare for it. You can read it now on the Client Resources page if you like.

So at this point you just have to be patient. The WCC is slow to set hearings, and there is nothing much we can do about speeding it up. If you have a genuine emergency that requires an earlier hearing (something major like losing your home), call me and we can file for an emergency hearing. But it really has to be something major – not just that times are hard. That is true for almost everyone waiting on a hearing.

Call me if you have any questions or concerns about your case.

Next Steps

Want to know more? Discover what you need to know about workers’ compensation in Maryland. Click here to see our Free Legal Consumer Guide to Maryland Workers’ Compensation and get answers to your questions today. Know your options. Be informed. Protect yourself.

Need a workers’ compensation attorney? Please contact us for a consultation today if you need an experienced workers’ compensation lawyer in Waldorf and Lexington Park for your legal case.

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