Formal rating determinations shall be deemed to constitute evidence in which manner?

• A. They are rebuttable under certain circumstances
• B. They are presumptively correct
• C. They are only evidence regarding the relationship between the described disability and the percentage of permanent disability
• D. They have no evidentiary value

Answer: (C)

In California workers’ compensation, formal rating determinations serve to translate the medical description of impairment into a permanent disability percentage. They are evidence of how much impairment the described disability yields, i.e., they show the relationship between the specific impairment and the corresponding permanent disability percentage. They are not a blanket statement that ends all disputes on the case, nor do they address issues like fault, causation, or non-medical factors on their own. Other medical evidence can modify or override the rating if warranted, but the rating itself remains evidence of the impairment-to-PD relationship.