If an injury causes both grip loss and atrophy, what does the injured worker receive?

• A. The greater of the two
• B. The lesser of the two
• C. Both grip loss and the atrophy
• D. Combined ratings

Answer: (C)

The idea being tested is that one injury can produce more than one compensable impairment when those impairments reflect different aspects of the deficit. In this case, grip loss and atrophy are two distinct findings: grip loss measures the functional loss in hand strength, while atrophy reflects a structural change in muscle mass. Because both impairments arise from the same injury but represent different dimensions of disability, both are recognized and compensated. It isn’t about taking the greater or the lesser, and it isn’t about collapsing them into a single combined rating; the system allows each impairment to be counted if it independently contributes to the worker’s loss of function.