An employee has an injury in February 2000, and in July 2000 suffers an aggravation of that injury. What is the appropriate action for the workers' compensation file?

• A. Combine the two injuries in one file.
• B. Set up a separate file for the new injury.
• C. Apportion permanent disability.
• D. Close the file.

Answer: (C)

When an employee sustains an aggravation of a prior injury, you apportion permanent disability between the two contributing conditions. That means you assess how much impairment is due to the February injury and how much impairment is due to the July aggravation, and you assign the PD accordingly. The total disability reflects both causes, but each portion is tied to its specific contribution, preventing overpayment from double-counting the same impairment. Keeping the file with apportioned PD correctly captures the relationship between the original injury and the aggravation; simply combining them without apportionment, creating a separate file for the new injury, or closing the file would misstate the disability and benefits.