Wrists are the body part where the occupational variant does something people don’t expect: the desk job can out-rate the custodian. The schedule prices lost earning capacity, and fine hand use is the tool of clerical work — so the same measured wrist stiffness is worth more at a keyboard than pushing a mop. This page computes the whole grid with the rating engine.
How wrist injuries are measured
The AMA Guides rate wrists (impairment number 16.04.01.00 for range of motion) from measured deficits in flexion, extension, and deviation, with nerve findings (carpal tunnel residuals) and grip loss rated separately. Rough anchors: modest stiffness runs low single digits WPI; significant combined loss reaches the teens; a wrist fusion lands around the high teens to low 20s.
The money table
Final PD and total indemnity at age 42–46, 2026 injury, maximum PD rate, single impairment, before apportionment — read the first two columns closely:
| WPI | Clerical · 111 | Custodian · 340 | Carpenter · 380 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3% | 5% · $4,350 | 4% · $3,480 | 9% · $7,830 |
| 6% | 10% · $8,772.50 | 9% · $7,830 | 15% · $14,645 |
| 10% | 17% · $17,545 | 15% · $14,645 | 23% · $26,245 |
| 14% | 23% · $26,245 | 21% · $23,345 | 31% · $40,020 |
| 18% | 30% · $37,990 | 27% · $32,697.50 | 38% · $54,230 |
| 22% | 36% · $50,170 | 33% · $44,080 | 45% · $68,440 |
Clerical beats custodian in every row — the mirror image of the back and knee pages, same logic as psych ratings: the variant cuts whichever way the job depends on the impaired function.
Apportionment
Unapportioned that was 21% — $23,345. The finding removed $5,800; see how apportionment works.
What this table can’t tell you
Bilateral claims (both wrists — common in CT cases) are separate impairments that combine on the CVC, wages below the maximum scale the dollars down, and settlements price future medical beyond any table. Companion pages: back · knee · shoulder · neck · hip · ankle. Estimates for informational use; not legal or medical advice.