The hernia is comp’s oldest lifting claim — one bad pull, immediate pain, a surgery, and then the question that actually sets the money: what’s left after the repair? The schedule prices hernias as lifting problems, and the residuals drive everything. Figures computed by the engine.
How hernias are measured
Hernias rate under 06.05.00.00 (digestive chapter) from what persists at P&S, on the AMA Guides’ hernia table — and every class there starts with a palpable defect in the abdominal wall. With one, slight protrusion or occasional mild discomfort is class 1 (0–9% WPI); frequent protrusion, or discomfort that rules out heavy lifting, is class 2 (10–19%); a persistent, irreducible, or irreparable protrusion that limits daily activities is class 3 (20–30%). A solid repair with no defect fits no class — pain alone doesn’t rate on the table, which is where an Almaraz/Guzman argument starts. The operative report matters less than the P&S exam.
The money table
Final PD and total indemnity at age 37–41, 2026 injury, maximum PD rate, before apportionment:
| WPI | Clerical · 111 | Custodian · 340 | Carpenter · 380 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | 3% · $2,610 | 5% · $4,350 | 6% · $5,220 |
| 6% | 6% · $5,220 | 9% · $7,830 | 11% · $9,932.50 |
| 10% | 10% · $8,772.50 | 16% · $16,095 | 18% · $18,995 |
| 16% | 16% · $16,095 | 24% · $27,695 | 27% · $32,697.50 |
Clerical draws variant C — the schedule’s low end — because a repaired hernia barely changes desk work, while the lifting trades draw H. The same logic as the fusion page: the variant prices what the injury takes from that job.
One lift or a career
Most hernia claims are specific injuries — the lift, the pop, the same-day report (and prompt reporting matters enormously here, since defense doctors love the “pre-existing weakness” theme). Gradual-onset cases run as cumulative trauma on §5412 dates. And for qualifying firefighters and peace officers, hernia sits on the §3212 presumption list — presumed industrial, apportionment barred.
What this table can’t tell you
Wages below the maximum scale the dollars down, mesh complications and recurrence belong in the medical award, bilateral hernias combine on the CVC, and TD through repair and recovery runs on the payment clock. Companion pages: back · knee · shoulder · neck · hip · wrist · ankle · elbow · foot · hand · carpal tunnel · hearing · eye · amputation · fusion · knee replacement · rotator cuff · hip replacement · head injury · herniated disc · meniscus · ulnar nerve · lungs · heart. Estimates for informational use; not legal or medical advice.
Rate your hernia right here
Same engine as the tables above — pick your occupation and age, slide the WPI from the report, and carry it into the full calculator when you’re ready.