What is Whole Person Impairment?
Whole Person Impairment (WPI) measures how an injury or illness affects your overall health. It assesses both physical and psychological conditions, showing not just the seriousness of your injury but also how it affects your mood, daily activities, and overall quality of life.
In Queensland, WPI is referred to as DPI (Degree of Permanent Impairment). To keep things straightforward, we’ll stick with the term WPI for the rest of this post.
How is WPI assessed?
Your WPI is evaluated by an independent doctor who specialises in your type of injury. If your condition is psychological, a registered psychiatrist will conduct the assessment instead.
The evaluation follows specific guidelines that can vary slightly depending on your state. Typically, the assessor will consider:
- Whether your condition has stabilised, meaning it's unlikely to change with time or further treatment.
- How your injury or condition affects your daily life.
- The established medical guidelines and criteria for permanent impairment in your state.
- The level of permanent impairment caused by your injury.
- Any previous injuries, pre-existing conditions, or other factors that might contribute to your impairment.
After reviewing all this information, the assessor will calculate your WPI percentage based on your state’s specific assessment guidelines. They’ll also prepare a detailed report summarising their findings, which includes your WPI percentage and recommendations for any future treatment or care.
It’s really important to wait until your condition has stabilised before getting your WPI assessed. If you get assessed too early, you could end up with a lower WPI and receive less compensation than you deserve.
How WPI impacts your workers compensation claim
If you’re injured or ill because of work, you’re usually entitled to basic workers compensation payments, no matter your impairment level. This includes:
- Weekly wage-replacement payments (up to 95% of your pre-injury income).
- Medical costs.
- Rehabilitation and other support services.
- Travel expenses to and from treatment.
These weekly payments typically last for a set period, which varies depending on which state you’re in. To keep receiving payments beyond this period, you’ll need to meet your state’s minimum WPI percentage.
| State | WPI threshold to continue receiving payments |
| New South Wales | 20% |
| Victoria | 30% |
| Queensland | 20% |
| South Australia | 30% |
| Western Australia | 15% |
| Tasmania | 20% |
| Northern Territory | 30% |
| Australian Capital Territory | 30% |
To illustrate how this works, let’s use NSW as an example.
In NSW, weekly workers compensation payments typically cease after five years. However, if your WPI is above 20%, you can keep receiving payments until you either return to work or reach retirement age (plus one year).
WPI ratings for common workplace injuries
From our experience, these are some of the most common workplace conditions and the approximate WPI you could receive for each:
- Amputated finger: usually in the range of 20% to 30%, based on which finger is amputated. For example, losing a thumb usually results in a higher percentage than losing a pinkie.
- Back injury: generally between 10% and 30%.
- Knee injury (e.g. ACL tear): usually between 10% and 20%.
- Shoulder injury (rotator cuff tear): typically between 10% and 30%.
- Severe burns: usually from 30% to 60%, depending on how severe the burns are and which parts of the body are affected.
- Multiple injuries (e.g. fractured arm and leg): you can combine the WPI from multiple injuries into one total percentage.
- Hearing loss in both ears (binaural): your WPI is half your percentage of binaural hearing loss, e.g. if you have 30% binaural hearing loss, your WPI is 15%.
- Loss of vision in one eye: 30% to 40%.
- Psychological injury (e.g. PTSD): this varies hugely, from as little as 5% up to 65%, depending on the severity of the psychological injury and how it impacts your daily life and functioning.
It’s important to remember that these figures are general estimates and should be viewed as starting points. The exact WPI rating depends on your specific condition, how severe it is, and which state you live in. For a more precise estimate of your potential WPI, chat with an expert workers compensation lawyer.
What if my injury or illness is permanent?
On top of weekly payments, you might qualify for an additional lump sum payment if your condition is permanent and you meet your state’s minimum threshold.
| State | Minimum WPI threshold |
| New South Wales | • Physical injuries: 11%
• Psychological injuries: 15% |
| Victoria | • Spinal injuries: 5%
• Other physical injuries: 10%
• Psychological injuries: 30%
|
| Queensland | 0% |
| South Australia | • Physical injuries: 5%
• Psychological injuries: no lump sum available |
| Western Australia | 0% |
| Tasmania | • Physical injuries: 5%
• Psychological injuries: 10% |
| Northern Territory | 5% |
| Australian Capital Territory | 0% |
If your state doesn’t set a minimum WPI requirement, the size of your lump sum payment will still depend on the severity of your condition. In other words, the more serious your impairment, the larger your payout is likely to be.
Common injuries and illnesses that cause permanent impairment
We’ve helped thousands of Australian workers successfully navigate their permanent impairment claims. Here’s a rundown of some common conditions that might qualify for an extra lump sum:
- Disc bulges: this happens when the discs in your spine get damaged and can lead to pain and limited movement.
- Surgery: if you’ve had to undergo surgery for a workplace injury, especially if you experience pain or disability afterwards.
- Hearing loss: if your job has exposed you to loud noises, you might face permanent hearing loss.
- Ankle or wrist fusion: this is a surgical procedure that involves permanently joining two or more bones in a joint to eliminate pain and restore stability. However, it can also limit how you move and make it tough to do certain tasks at work.
- Multiple conditions: if you've developed multiple conditions because of work.
- Knee, elbow, and shoulder injuries: injuries to these key joints can seriously affect your strength and mobility.
- Eye injuries: serious injuries to your eyes can lead to lasting vision problems.
- Nerve damage: if you’ve suffered nerve damage, you could be left with chronic pain and loss of function.
This isn’t a complete list — just a snapshot of the conditions that might get you a permanent impairment lump sum. To find out if your specific condition qualifies, reach out to one of our expert workers compensation lawyers today.
What happens if my employer’s negligence caused my injury?
If your employer’s negligence led to your injury, you may have a common law damages claim. To be eligible, you’ll typically need to meet your state’s minimum WPI threshold.
| State | WPI threshold |
| New South Wales | 15% |
| Victoria | 30% or pass a ‘serious injury’ test |
| Queensland | 0% |
| South Australia | 30% |
| Western Australia | 15% |
| Tasmania | 20% |
| Northern Territory | 0% |
| Australian Capital Territory | 0% |
It’s important to know that even in states without a minimum WPI, your level of impairment will still affect your compensation.
Once you’re over the threshold, your WPI plays a key role in determining how much compensation you receive for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and future earning potential. This compensation is essential because it covers the ongoing physical, mental, and financial impact of your injury.
With so much compensation on the line, it’s essential to chat with a lawyer early on — ideally before starting your workers compensation claim. We can figure out if you’re eligible for common law damages and safeguard your rights throughout the workers compensation process. We’ll also negotiate with insurers so that any workers compensation settlements won’t impact your ability to make a common law claim down the road.
How we can help you
With over 25 years’ experience in workers compensation and common law damages, we’re committed to securing maximum compensation for your claim. Our legal teams specialise in all workplace injuries and illnesses, with a particular focus on spinal injuries, serious psychological illnesses and other severe injuries.
We’re well-versed in the specific laws in your state and ready to support you at every stage of your journey. Whether it’s making sure your WPI assessment is spot-on or managing all negotiations with insurers, our thorough approach guarantees that you’re compensated for the full impact of your injury on your life.
If you feel your WPI assessment is unfair or doesn’t accurately reflect your condition, our lawyers will help you appeal the decision. We’ll use our extensive network of medical experts to gather strong evidence that clearly demonstrates the severity of your injury. Over the years, we’ve successfully challenged hundreds of WPI assessments.
Whether you’ve recently been injured, already had your WPI assessment, or just want some free expert advice, don’t hesitate to reach out. Our lawyers are here to guide you through the claims process and secure the compensation you deserve.
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