Workers Compensation Terms and Definitions

Subpoena A document that requires a witness to appear at a hearing. There must be an Application for Adjudication on file for a subpoena to be valid. Temporary Patial Disability (TPD) A wage replacement benefit that may be paid when you return to work but at less than full earnings. Sometimes referred to as Wage Loss. Settlement A workers' compensation cases may be settled in one of two ways, by a Compromise and Release (C&R) or by a Stipulation with Request for Award (Stip). A C&R usually settles all outstanding issues in a claim for a single lump sum payment. A Stipulation may leave certain issues open, such as future medical treatment and/or vocational rehabilition. Wage Loss Temporary disability benefits that may be paid when an employee returns to work at less than full earnings. Also known as Temporary Partial Disability (TPD). Agreed Medical Examiner (AME) A physician selected by your attorney and the claims administrator who conducts a medical evaluation and submits a comprehensive report to the parties. Panel Qualified Medical Evaluator A list of three independent qualified medical evaluators issued by the state Industrial Medical Council. You select any one of the three doctors for your evaluation. This is for workers not represented by an attorney. Findings & Award (F&A) A Workers' Compensation Administrative Law Judge's decision finding that an applicant is entitled to disability benefit payments, future medical treatment, or both. Commutation An order by a Workers' Compensation Administrative Law Judge for a lump sum payment of part or all of your permanent disability award. Payment can be made to either the injured worker or the injured worker's attorney. Summary Rating Reconsideration An administrative procedure to object to the Summary Permanent Disability Rating issued by the DWC Disability Evaluation Unit. The request must be made within 30 days of receipt of the summary rating. Apportionment A way of figuring out how much of your permanent disability is due to your industrial injury and how much is due to other disabilities.

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	Did You Know?
	FECA protects three million Federal workers A COST-EFFECTIVE SELF-INSURANCE SYSTEM FECA protects three million Federal workers from economic hardship due to work injury and illness. Included among the executive, legislative and judicial branch employees covered by FECA are civilian Defense workers, medical workers in Veterans' hospitals, and the 800,000 workers of the Postal Service, the country's largest civilian employer.