A 39-year-old baker, Group 420, has a knee injury with slight instability precluding heavy lifting. What is the level of permanent disability?

A 39-year-old baker, Group 420, has a knee injury with slight instability precluding heavy lifting. What is the level of permanent disability?

• A. 18 percent
• B. 20 percent
• C. 22 percent
• D. 24 percent

Answer: (C)

In California, the level of permanent disability is not just the medical impairment rating; it’s the impairment adjusted by age and occupation. A knee injury with slight instability that prevents heavy lifting produces a real functional limitation, particularly for someone whose job requires lifting and standing, like a baker. The occupation factor for Group 420 increases the impact of that impairment on overall work ability. When you combine the knee’s impairment with the 39-year-old worker’s age and the demands of a baker’s job, the appropriate adjustment yields a permanent disability rating in the low-to-mid 20s, which in this scenario is 22 percent. This is why 22 percent is the best answer.

In California, the level of permanent disability is not just the medical impairment rating; it’s the impairment adjusted by age and occupation. A knee injury with slight instability that prevents heavy lifting produces a real functional limitation, particularly for someone whose job requires lifting and standing, like a baker. The occupation factor for Group 420 increases the impact of that impairment on overall work ability. When you combine the knee’s impairment with the 39-year-old worker’s age and the demands of a baker’s job, the appropriate adjustment yields a permanent disability rating in the low-to-mid 20s, which in this scenario is 22 percent. This is why 22 percent is the best answer.