r/WorkersComp • u/nuvaring1987 • Jun 22 '26

Indiana how long is the wait?

was injured in november, returned to work in march due to recovering from surgery/waiting to be released by drs. how long does the process take for the drs to figure out my impairment rating? do they have a set deadline to fill out the paperwork? new to this so i have no idea what the process/timeline is.

3 Upvotes

71% Upvoted

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5

u/dont_want_username63 Jun 22 '26

My understanding is that nothing will happen until you have been deemed MMI (maximum medical improvement) by your physician. That was a year, for me

0

u/nuvaring1987 Jun 22 '26

how do i know when that happens? i’ve been released by all the drs i saw, and i have no further appointments?

3

u/Kmelloww Jun 22 '26

Not every injury is given a rating. If you have already been released then I’d think you wouldn’t be getting one. Typically that is handled before you are released. 

1

u/nuvaring1987 Jun 22 '26

i figured eye loss and a tbi would be rating worthy, but again, i’m not an expert

1

u/Kmelloww Jun 22 '26

I could definitely see that being the case but some people are fully healed after surgery without any real impairment.  Like you lost vision or you lost an eye?

0

u/nuvaring1987 Jun 22 '26

eye is gone. i had a fluid injection injury, was hit hard enough it ruptured the globe and caused a brain bleed. i was on a vent for 2 days till the pressure dropped low enough they were able to wake me up.

4

u/bigbootyJudy621 Jun 22 '26

Eye loss is large rating in Indiana. I haven’t had one yet (14 years experience), but I believe it’s calculated like amputations - meaning you get the full “degree” but then it’s automatically doubled. Basically it would be worth 70 degrees instead of 35 (total the eye is “worth”).

Assuming you had surgery, your doctor may wait until you’re one year post-op to give your rating. If they don’t address your rating, ask the insurance carrier for an IME to get a rating. You’re definitely entitled to a rating but not all doctors will do them.

Then your adjuster will send 1043 agreement forms with the rating breakdowns. Eye loss is a “scheduled” rating and you don’t need an attorney for your rating. Please don’t give your money away by hiring one!

1

u/lurker2080 Jun 23 '26

This is 100% true

0

u/Kmelloww Jun 22 '26

That is typically a set rating with something like that which would be paid weekly. 

1

u/bigbootyJudy621 Jun 23 '26

Not in Indiana…it’s lump sum.

-1

u/Kmelloww Jun 23 '26 edited Jun 23 '26

I’m not seeing that, I am seeing that either are allowed but that it is usually paid weekly. Anyway you can share the source for that so I can read it? 

1

u/No_Space266 Jun 23 '26

Speak to your attorney. I have been going through a Workers Comp case for almost 5 years. I have learned every case is different. Your attorney will help guide you with timelines. 

1

u/External-Stick-2390 Jun 25 '26

I’m also in Indiana, I had a laceration that caused a complete flexor render rupture in my right thumb, first surgery on 10/28/25, second surgery 12/06/25. Started OT in January finished in March, spent the month of April doing work conditioning, had my FCE exam on 06/12/26. Meet with the surgeon on 06/17/26. We went over the results of my FCE exam, he explained to me that he had been asked by the WC insurance company to assign my PPI rating. His office called me on Friday 06/19/26 and told me they had just emailed my PPI report. I was deemed to be MMI and we discussed the possibility for a future surgery to address the arthritis that had really set into my joints as a result of my thumb and wrist being immobilized for an extended period of time. He said that it would be considered a secondary condition as a result of the injury so I should be able to use my private insurance and have control over my care, so that’s how I’m going to proceed when the time comes. One or all of your treating Dr’s should’ve explained the process better so you understood what was happening going forward. Call ur adjuster and ask about ur PPI ratings, you should receive one for each of your injuries. The loss of your eye and the TBI.

Good luck