How should you reserve for the 2004 injury given prior 25% PD for right eye?

How should you reserve for the 2004 injury given prior 25% PD for right eye?

• A. 100%
• B. 25%
• C. 100% less 25%
• D. Notify the excess carrier

Answer: (B)

When a new injury occurs to a body part that already has permanent disability, you don’t automatically stack all new impairment on top of what’s already there. The reserve for the new injury reflects the impairment attributable to that injury, considering any preexisting impairment in the same part. In this case, the right eye already has twenty-five percent permanent disability. If the 2004 injury affects the same eye and does not introduce additional impairment beyond what’s already established, the reserve for the 2004 injury is twenty-five percent. The other options would imply either fully adding new impairment beyond the existing level (which would miscount overlap) or taking administrative action that isn’t warranted by the information given. If later evaluation does show extra impairment beyond twenty-five percent, the total disability would be determined and the reserve adjusted accordingly using the impairment-combination rules, not by simply choosing a higher percentage.

When a new injury occurs to a body part that already has permanent disability, you don’t automatically stack all new impairment on top of what’s already there. The reserve for the new injury reflects the impairment attributable to that injury, considering any preexisting impairment in the same part. In this case, the right eye already has twenty-five percent permanent disability. If the 2004 injury affects the same eye and does not introduce additional impairment beyond what’s already established, the reserve for the 2004 injury is twenty-five percent.

The other options would imply either fully adding new impairment beyond the existing level (which would miscount overlap) or taking administrative action that isn’t warranted by the information given. If later evaluation does show extra impairment beyond twenty-five percent, the total disability would be determined and the reserve adjusted accordingly using the impairment-combination rules, not by simply choosing a higher percentage.