# Understanding Your Permanent Partial Disability Award in Colorado
The Short Answer
Permanent partial disability in Colorado is compensation for a lasting physical impairment after you reach maximum medical improvement, and it comes in two tracks under C.R.S. § 8-42-107: scheduled impairment for specific body parts and whole-person impairment for injuries to the body as a whole. Scheduled awards multiply statutory weeks by your impairment percentage and your weekly rate; whole-person awards convert your rating into weeks paid at two-thirds of your average weekly wage. In Colorado Springs and across El Paso County, these same statewide rules apply, and objection deadlines run from the insurer’s Final Admission of Liability — consult an attorney to confirm the exact window for your case.
If you’ve received a permanent partial disability Colorado award letter and the number looks like a mystery, here’s what it actually means: it’s money owed to you for a permanent limitation your doctor documented after your treatment plateaued — not payment for total disability, and not the same as the medical or temporary benefits you already received. The math behind that number follows a strict statutory formula. And it’s often calculated wrong.
Most injured workers in Woodland Park, Fountain, and Monument get that letter with zero explanation of how the insurer arrived at the figure. Let’s fix that.
What Permanent Partial Disability Means in Colorado
Permanent partial disability is compensation for a permanent physical limitation that remains after you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI), the point defined under C.R.S. § 8-40-201(11.5) as when your condition is stable and no further treatment will improve it. It is not total disability and it is not lost-wage replacement.
Once your treating physician places you at MMI, they assign an impairment rating using the AMA Guides. That rating — a percentage — is the engine that drives your entire PPD award. PPD is a separate benefit from the temporary disability checks and medical coverage explained in our overview of Colorado workers’ compensation benefits. Those benefits address your recovery period. PPD addresses what you’re left with permanently. In our experience handling these claims across El Paso County, that distinction is where confusion — and underpayment — usually begins. Permanent partial disability cases are among the most common workers’ compensation benefit disputes a claimant will face.
Scheduled vs Whole-Person Impairment: The Two PPD Tracks
Colorado uses a two-track system, and which track your injury falls on can swing your award by thousands of dollars. Scheduled impairments cover specific body parts listed in C.R.S. § 8-42-107 — arms, legs, hands, feet, eyes, fingers, toes, and hearing. Whole-person impairments cover everything not on that list, most commonly the spine, head, and internal organs.
How Scheduled Impairment Awards Are Calculated
A scheduled award multiplies the statutory number of weeks assigned to your body part by your impairment percentage, then by your temporary total disability (TTD) rate. Each listed body part carries a fixed number of compensable weeks in the statute.
So if you lose partial use of a hand in a Falcon warehouse accident, the calculation takes the statutory weeks for that hand, multiplies by the physician’s impairment percentage, and multiplies again by your weekly rate. A total loss pays the full statutory weeks; a 20% impairment pays 20% of those weeks. Finger loss, hearing loss, and limb injuries all resolve this same clean way. Because scheduled math is straightforward, these awards are frequently correct — and sometimes challenging them would only cost you money.
How Whole-Person Impairment Awards Are Calculated
A whole-person award converts your impairment percentage into weeks of compensation using a statutory conversion factor, then pays those weeks at two-thirds of your average weekly wage (AWW), subject to the maximum weekly rate and overall benefit caps in C.R.S. § 8-42-107(8). Whole-person awards generally reach higher totals than scheduled awards for the same percentage.
Say you injure your back on a job site near Powers Boulevard and receive a 15% whole-person rating. That percentage is multiplied by the statutory age-adjusted conversion, producing a number of weeks, paid at your capped weekly rate. Because the caps and conversion factors adjust for injuries occurring at different times, using the correct figures matters — an outdated table produces a wrong check. This is exactly why classification disputes are worth watching: a spine injury misclassified as scheduled can dramatically shortchange you. Colorado law sets specific weekly maximums and overall benefit caps that vary by injury date and impairment level, and because these caps are date-of-injury specific, applying the wrong year’s figures to your award is one of the most common — and consequential — calculation errors we identify. An attorney can confirm which caps apply to your specific injury date.
Reading Your Impairment Rating and the DIME Process in Colorado Springs
Your impairment rating is the single most important number on your award, and under Colorado law you have a limited window after receiving the insurer’s Final Admission of Liability to object or request a Division-sponsored Independent Medical Examination (DIME). The exact deadline for objecting depends on when the admission was mailed — consult with an attorney immediately upon receiving your award letter to preserve your right to challenge it.
The DIME is the mechanism for challenging a rating you believe is too low. A neutral Division-selected physician re-examines you and issues an independent rating, and that opinion carries significant legal weight — overcoming it requires clear and convincing evidence. For a worker in Manitou Springs or Security-Widefield who suspects their treating doctor lowballed the rating, the DIME is the path. But it’s a demanding process with strict deadlines. That’s the kind of dispute Bradford Pelton PC handles directly. As a trial-ready boutique, Alex Kerr personally takes DIME challenges and Administrative Law Judge hearings — not just settlement paperwork.
When a Colorado PPD Award Is Worth Disputing
A PPD award is worth challenging when the impairment percentage is too low, the injury is misclassified as scheduled instead of whole-person, or the insurer made a mathematical error — but many straightforward scheduled awards are calculated correctly and don’t require a lawyer at all. Honesty about that difference matters.
We see three recurring problems. First, rating disagreements, where a DIME may raise your percentage. Second, classification disputes, where an injury affecting the body as a whole gets squeezed onto the schedule to save the insurer money. Third, plain calculation errors — wrong AWW, outdated caps, or an arithmetic slip. Because workers’ comp is no-fault, comparative negligence never reduces your statutory PPD benefits the way it would in a car crash claim under C.R.S. § 13-21-111. Where PPD fits into your broader timeline — including any lump-sum settlement — is something we walk through case by case. And if your injury stemmed from a work-related crash, our automobile accident team can evaluate whether a separate third-party claim exists alongside your comp benefits. Colorado law also provides for lump-sum payment options on PPD awards under certain circumstances — an attorney can explain whether you qualify and how to request accelerated payment if that option makes sense for your situation.
That’s where the free review comes in. Alex Kerr personally reviews every PPD award letter brought to the firm. If the numbers are right, he’ll tell you a lawyer would just cost you money. If they’re not, you’ll know exactly what’s worth pursuing. You can request a free consultation anytime, and our client reviews reflect that straight-shooting approach.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Every case is different. Contact Bradford Pelton PC for a free consultation to discuss your specific situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who pays for permanent partial disability?
Your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier pays permanent partial disability benefits in Colorado. Because workers’ comp is a no-fault system, benefits come from the insurer regardless of who caused the injury, and you pay nothing out of pocket for the award itself. The carrier processes the payment after you reach maximum medical improvement and an impairment rating is assigned.
How is PPD calculated in Colorado?
PPD in Colorado is calculated using one of two statutory formulas under C.R.S. § 8-42-107. Scheduled injuries multiply the body part’s statutory weeks by your impairment percentage and your weekly rate, while whole-person injuries convert your rating percentage into weeks paid at two-thirds of your average weekly wage, subject to statutory caps. Which track applies depends on which body part was injured.
What would qualify for permanent disability in a Colorado workers’ comp claim?
Any work injury that leaves a permanent, documented physical limitation after maximum medical improvement can qualify for permanent partial disability in Colorado Springs and statewide. The qualifying factor is an impairment rating assigned by a physician under the AMA Guides once your condition stabilizes. Common qualifying injuries include limb and joint damage, back and spine injuries, hearing loss, and repetitive-motion conditions.
How hard is it to get partial disability?
Getting a PPD award is generally straightforward once you reach maximum medical improvement and receive an impairment rating, because Colorado’s no-fault system does not require proving anyone was at fault. The difficulty usually lies not in qualifying but in whether the impairment percentage and classification are correct. If the rating seems too low, you have a limited window after receiving the Final Admission of Liability to object or request a DIME — contact an attorney immediately to confirm the deadline for your case.