What Is A Summary Rating For Workers’ Compensation, And When Should You Object To It?

A summary rating is a document provided to you by the Disability Evaluation Unit in California. This document takes the qualified medical evaluator’s examination and report and converts it to a permanent disability rating for workers’ comp.

The percentage score given to you determines how much compensation you will receive. Ratings from 1% to 100% are possible, with a score below 100 meaning that you have a permanent partial disability. Ratings of 100% extremely rare.

How Is The Summary Rating Determined?

According to the Department of Industrial Relations, the summary rating is determined by considering:

• The date of the injury
• Your medical condition
• How old you were when you were injured
• How much of this disability is a result of your job
• A multiplication adjustment of 1.4 if you were injured after 2013

The majority of workers who receive a disability rating get a rating between five and 30%. 

When Should You Object To The Rating You’ve Received?

There are a few times when you may want to object. For example, if you don’t agree with the treating physician’s diagnosis or examination results because they didn’t follow the right evaluation procedures, you may want to reject the rating. If the rating was incorrectly calculated, that is a reason for objecting.

Keep in mind that there are only four reasons you can object, so your complaint will have to meet the qualifications. If you want to object to the rating, your attorney can help you prepare the medical information you need as well as any other information that supports your request for a review.