Impairment · 2005 PDRS Section 2
Lungs & respiratory: PD rating
Asthma, occupational lung disease, and respiratory cancers. These arrive directly as a whole-person impairment (WPI) percentage.
WPI → PD rating
Example — a 12% WPI asthma / respiratory impairment: 12 × 1.4 = 17 standard rating (DOI ≥ 2013), before the occupational and age adjustments.
The occupational and age steps and the final dollar figure depend on the specific job and birth date — the calculator computes them exactly.
How the respiratory rating scale works: the evaluator rates lung conditions as whole-person impairment under Chapter 5 of the AMA Guides (5th ed.) — severity is classified from pulmonary function testing (FVC, FEV1, and diffusing capacity) into one of four classes, and the physician reports a WPI within the class the tests support. The 2005 schedule then files the condition under impairment number 05.01.00.00 (asthma), 05.02.00.00 (other respiratory disorders), or 05.03.00.00 (respiratory cancer), and that WPI runs the standard pipeline — the 1.4 adjustment, occupational variant, and age modifier — to a final PD percentage.
Impairments in this system · 3
AsthmaRespiratory DisordersCancer (Respiratory)
Respiratory rating FAQ
How is a lungs & respiratory injury rated for permanent disability in California?
These arrive directly as a whole-person impairment (WPI) percentage. The WPI is multiplied by 1.4 to get the standard rating (dates of injury on or after 2013 under SB 863), then adjusted for the worker’s occupation and age, apportioned under Lab. Code §4663, and combined with any other impairments. Example — a 12% WPI asthma / respiratory impairment: 12 × 1.4 = 17 standard rating (DOI ≥ 2013), before the occupational and age adjustments.
What body parts are in the Lungs & respiratory section of the PDRS?
The 2005 PDRS lists 3 impairments here. Asthma, occupational lung disease, and respiratory cancers.
Does the occupation change a lungs & respiratory rating?
Yes — after the ×1.4 step, the occupational group applies a variant that raises or lowers the standard rating. See the occupation pages for how each group treats this region.
Is this a legal PD rating?
No — it’s an estimate for informational use. Confirm every rating against the DEU. RateString rates strict AMA Guides 5th-edition values under the 2005 PDRS.
Rate this impairment — free
Enter the WPI, occupation, and age — get a defensible PD rating and indemnity in under a minute.