Reference

Indiana workers' comp glossary

Plain-English definitions for the terms that show up after a workplace injury — no-fault, TTD, PPI, MMI, the IME, the Workers' Compensation Board, lost wages, and more. General information, not legal advice.

31 entries with cross-references and entity links.

Reference glossary for Indiana workers' compensation terminology — the no-fault system, temporary total disability and lost wages, permanent partial impairment and the impairment rating, maximum medical improvement, the independent medical examination, the Workers' Compensation Board and its dispute process, and settlements, with links to authoritative sources where applicable. This is general information, not legal advice; how any term applies to a specific claim is for a licensed attorney.

Arising out of and in the course of employment: The general standard for a covered work injury — that it is connected to the work (arising out of) and happened while working (in the course of employment). The precise application is statutory and case-specific; a licensed attorney is the right person to advise.
Average weekly wage: A figure used to calculate wage-replacement benefits, generally based on a worker's earnings over a defined period before the injury. The calculation is statutory; how it applies to a specific claim is for a licensed attorney.
Application for adjustment of claim: The general filing a worker uses to bring a dispute — such as a denial or stopped benefits — before the Workers' Compensation Board of Indiana. The requirements and deadlines are statutory and case-specific; a licensed attorney is the right person to handle it.
Appeal: The general process of challenging a denial or an unfavorable decision in a workers' comp claim. In Indiana, disputes move through the Workers' Compensation Board. The specific steps and deadlines are case-specific and for a licensed attorney.
Adjuster: The insurance-company representative who handles a workers' comp claim — reviewing it, authorizing or denying treatment, and managing benefits. Communications with an adjuster can affect a claim, which is why a licensed attorney is valuable. General information only.
Attorney-client relationship: The relationship that exists when a person retains a licensed attorney to represent them. Using this connector site or contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship — that forms only between you and the licensed attorney you ultimately retain.

Denied claim: A workers' comp claim the insurer has refused to pay. A denial is not a verdict — denials often turn on fixable issues (a missing form, a disputed cause, a treatment gap, a rating disagreement) and can be challenged through the Workers' Compensation Board. A licensed attorney can review the specific denial reason.
Disability: In a workers' comp context, the extent to which a work injury limits a worker's ability to work, ranging from temporary to permanent and partial to total. How a disability is characterized in a specific claim is for a licensed attorney and the rating physician, not a website.

Exclusive remedy: The general principle that workers' compensation is usually the sole remedy against an employer for a covered work injury, in exchange for the no-fault benefits the system provides. Exceptions and how it applies are case-specific and for a licensed attorney.
Employee benefits: Compensation an employee receives beyond wages. In the workers' comp context, the relevant benefits are the medical care, wage-replacement, and impairment compensation the system provides for a covered work injury. The specifics are statutory and case-specific.

Hearing: A proceeding before the Workers' Compensation Board where a disputed workers' comp claim is decided. How to prepare and what evidence matters is fact-specific and squarely a licensed attorney's area.

Impairment rating: A physician's assessment, usually after maximum medical improvement, of the degree of permanent impairment from a work injury. The rating can affect the value of a claim and can sometimes be disputed. What a rating means for a specific claim is a matter for a licensed attorney.
Independent medical examination (IME): An examination by a physician — often selected by the insurer or ordered in a dispute — to evaluate the injury, an impairment rating, or whether more treatment is needed. How an IME fits a specific claim is fact-specific and for a licensed attorney to advise on.
Insurance: Workers' comp benefits are generally paid through an employer's workers' compensation insurance (or, for some employers, self-insurance). The insurer or its adjuster handles the claim, which is part of why disputes arise. A licensed attorney can advise on dealing with the insurer.

Lost wages: The portion of a worker's earnings replaced by workers' comp wage-replacement benefits while they cannot work due to the injury. It is generally a percentage of the average weekly wage, not full pay. The exact figure is statutory and case-specific.
Light duty: Modified work within a doctor's restrictions during recovery. Whether an offered light-duty assignment matches the restrictions, and what happens if it does not, is fact-specific and for a licensed attorney to advise.
Lawyer: A licensed legal professional. In a workers' comp matter, a licensed workers'-compensation attorney is the person who can advise on a specific claim, handle a dispute before the Workers' Compensation Board, and review a settlement. This site connects you with one but is not itself a lawyer or a law firm.

Maximum medical improvement (MMI): The point at which a doctor determines a condition has stabilized and is not expected to improve further with treatment. It is often when a permanent-impairment rating is assigned. How MMI applies to a specific claim is for a licensed attorney.

No-fault: The principle that an injured worker generally does not have to prove the employer was negligent to receive workers' comp benefits — only that the injury arose out of and in the course of employment. How that general rule applies to a specific claim is for a licensed attorney to evaluate.

Occupational injury: An injury or illness that results from work, including acute injuries (a fall, a machine injury) and conditions that develop over time (repetitive strain). Whether a particular condition is covered is fact-specific and a matter for a licensed attorney.

Permanent partial impairment (PPI): Compensation for a lasting impairment from a work injury, usually rated by a physician after the worker reaches maximum medical improvement. Indiana uses a degree-of-impairment framework. The rating and its value are case-specific and a matter for a licensed attorney.
Permanent total disability: A category for an injury that permanently prevents a worker from returning to gainful employment. Whether a claim reaches this level is fact-intensive and for a licensed attorney to evaluate, not a website.

Release: A document that, once signed, generally gives up certain claims or future benefits in exchange for a settlement. Because it is hard to undo, a licensed attorney should review it before signing. General information only.
Return to work: The stage when a worker goes back to the job, sometimes on light duty or with restrictions set by a doctor. Disputes — being sent back before ready, or light duty that does not match restrictions — are common and a matter for a licensed attorney.
Repetitive strain injury: A condition that develops over time from repeated motion or strain at work, rather than a single accident. Whether such a condition is covered is fact-specific and a matter for a licensed attorney.
Recorded statement: A statement an insurer may ask an injured worker to give, often recorded, about how the injury happened. Because it can affect a claim, whether and how to give one is a question for a licensed attorney before agreeing. General information, not advice.

Settlement: An agreement that resolves a workers' comp claim, often in exchange for a payment and a release. A settlement or release can give up future benefits or medical care, so the honest instruction is to talk to a licensed attorney before signing anything. This is general information, not legal advice.

Temporary total disability (TTD): Wage-replacement benefits paid while a worker is temporarily unable to work at all due to the injury — generally a percentage of average weekly wage, subject to statutory limits. It is not full pay. The amount and duration are case-specific and for a licensed attorney to advise on.
Temporary partial disability (TPD): Benefits paid when a worker can do some work at reduced earnings during recovery, intended to make up part of the difference. The calculation is statutory and case-specific.

Workers' compensation: A no-fault insurance system that provides benefits to employees who are injured or made ill on the job. Benefits typically include medical care for the work injury, a portion of lost wages, and compensation for any permanent impairment. In exchange, it is generally the exclusive remedy against the employer for a covered work injury. How it applies to a specific claim is a matter for a licensed attorney.
Workers' Compensation Board of Indiana: The state body that administers Indiana workers' comp disputes — denied claims, stopped benefits, and disagreements over treatment or a rating — generally through an application for adjustment of claim and a hearing process. The steps and deadlines are case-specific and for a licensed attorney to confirm.

Kokomo Workers' Comp Connect is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice. The information on this site is general information about Indiana workers' compensation, it is not a substitute for advice from a licensed attorney about a specific claim, and using this site or contacting us does not create an attorney-client relationship.

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