Tampa, FL workers’ compensation attorney Mark Lee discusses when a permanent impairment rating can be assigned to a workers’ compensation claim. He explains that once a patient reaches maximum medical improvement, the treating physician typically assigns a permanent impairment rating using the 1996 Florida Impairment Rating Guide. This rating is determined by the patient’s loss of function, irrespective of the type of injury or permanent dysfunction. The impairment rating guide is organized by body systems, and the physician, with knowledge of the patient’s functional limitations, assigns the rating based on the charts provided in the guide.