If a second eye injury occurs with prior impairment in the other eye, how should the reserve be determined?

If a second eye injury occurs with prior impairment in the other eye, how should the reserve be determined?

• A. 25%
• B. 50%
• C. 75%
• D. 100% less 25%

Answer: (A)

When evaluating a second eye injury in someone who already has impairment in the other eye, the incremental reserve is set at 25%. The idea is that the new injury does not add a full independent impairment because binocular function is already compromised; the extra loss from the second eye is treated as a smaller, 25% increment. This approach keeps the reserve in line with how ocular impairments are rated in SIP, where the total impact isn’t simply additive. So the correct reserve is 25% of the full impairment value, reflecting the limited additional effect of the second eye injury in a monocular patient.

When evaluating a second eye injury in someone who already has impairment in the other eye, the incremental reserve is set at 25%. The idea is that the new injury does not add a full independent impairment because binocular function is already compromised; the extra loss from the second eye is treated as a smaller, 25% increment. This approach keeps the reserve in line with how ocular impairments are rated in SIP, where the total impact isn’t simply additive. So the correct reserve is 25% of the full impairment value, reflecting the limited additional effect of the second eye injury in a monocular patient.