Apportionment of PD shall be based on what?

• A. the prior PD exists at the time of any subsequent industrial injury.
• B. the current wage loss.
• C. the date of disability.
• D. the amount of medical expenses.

Answer: (A)

Apportionment of permanent disability is based on whether there was a preexisting permanent disability at the time of the subsequent industrial injury. If a worker already has a PD before the new injury, part of the current PD is attributed to that preexisting condition and the remainder to the disability caused by the latest injury. This prevents double counting for what was already disabled. Wage loss, the date of disability, or medical expenses are not the basis for this apportionment. For example, if there was a 10% preexisting PD and the current injury would cause 30% PD, the new PD could be apportioned as 10% due to the preexisting condition and 20% due to the latest injury.