Missouri Workers' Compensation Terminology

One of the more maddening aspects of workers’ compensation law in Missouri is the constant acronyms and terminology that is used. The Missouri Workers’ Compensation statutes, 287.020-287.430, RSMo, are littered with terms of art and phrases that are often confusing. Consequently, it is vital if you are an individual seeking compensation for injuries suffered at work to understand the language and be conversant in the vernacular.
To give some examples of such terminology, consider the following:
“PTD”: means permanent total disability. Though relatively rare, it usually means lifetime weekly benefits for those employees whose work related injuries render them unable to return to pretty much any type of employment. Note that the injury or injuries for such a claim have to be serious.
“PPD”: means permanent partial disability. Under this claim, an employee has lingering ailments from the injury, but is able to carry on working.
“TPD”: means temporary partial disability. This is the most common type of claim that I have seen. It generally means that the employee takes off work for a very short period of time and is often given different, softer job. The employee is compensated to make up the difference between earnings and disability pay.
“TTD”: means temporary total disability. This is essentially work an employee is, because of work-related injuries, completely unable to work for a given period of time. Think of it as almost as paid time off.
If you don’t speak the workers’ compensation language, then you will almost invariably be lost in the conversation. Be sure to use an attorney who can translate the language.