Multiple Injuries and Apportionment

Some workers may suffer multiple workplace injuries over the course of a career. Workers’ compensation law holds employers liable only for the portion of an employee’s disability that was directly caused by the current work-related injury.

A physician must determine the approximate percentage of the disability that is due to the current job-related injury. That percentage determines the amount for which the current employer is liable. This is known as apportionment. Generally, the concept of medical apportionment assigns a percentage of an employee’s permanent impairment to the work itself and the remaining percentage to other factors, including prior injuries.