What is a workers’ compensation P&S report?

At a certain point in an injured workers’ “road to recovery” following an injury, he or she will reach a stationary point of improvement. Hopefully, by this time, the worker has achieved a complete recovery, but in some cases, workers have not completely healed and they’re suffering from what is deemed to be a “permanent injury.” It’s at this point that the workers’ medical condition is referred to as “permanent and stationary” or “P&S.”

When an injured worker’s status is P&S, the worker has reached the point of maximal medical improvement, or MMI. At this stage in the workers’ compensation process, the treating physician will draft a P&S report.

Here’s what the P&S report will include:

— The activity limitations, or work restrictions that describe what kind of work the employee can and cannot do.

— Medical care that the worker could require in the future.

— An estimation to determine what percentage of the injury was the direct result of the employee’s work activities.

When the treating physician completes the P&S report, he or she will forward it to the workers’ compensation claims administrator. The report will have an effect on the future benefits the worker can receive, so the worker has the right to receive a copy of the report.

Since the P&S report can have a major effect on one’s financial benefits, it’s wise to have a qualified California workers’ compensation lawyer review the P&S report for accuracy. If there is any area of the report that is inaccurate — or if the report inadequately describes the full extent of the workers’ injuries — then the injured employee may want to request revisions.

Source: California Department of Industrial Relations, “Workers’ Compensation in California: A Guidebook for Injured Workers,” accessed April 21, 2017