In a case of a 39 year old auto mechanic with slight knee instability, no atrophy and a preclusion from heavy lifting, what is the permanent disability level?

• A. 12 percent
• B. 19 percent
• C. 22 percent
• D. 25 percent

Answer: (C)

Permanent disability rating blends two pieces: what the knee impairment itself allows (the physical limitation) and how that limitation affects the person’s ability to work in their job. Here, the knee shows only slight instability and there’s no muscle wasting, so the impairment portion is modest. Because the worker is a mechanic with a job that requires physical labor and is precluded from heavy lifting, the vocational impact elevates the overall rating beyond a pure impairment figure. The result is a mid-range level of permanent disability—not minimal, not maximal—reflecting both the modest knee issue and the significant work limitation. The other options would either understate the impact or overstate it given these facts.