Opinion ID: 1955561
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: Scheduled and Unscheduled Workers' Compensation Benefits.

Text: If an employee suffers a personal injury causing permanent partial disability, the employee is entitled to workers' compensation benefits based upon the employee's average weekly spendable earnings during the healing period and for an additional period of time as compensation for the permanent partial disability suffered by the employee. Iowa Code § 85.34. As we have stated: Permanent partial disabilities are classified as either scheduled or unscheduled. Scheduled injuries are set forth in section 85.34(2)(a)-(t) which fixes the number of weeks a worker must be compensated for loss of designated body parts. Unscheduled disabilities are those which are not listed in subparagraphs (a)-(t) and instead constitute a disability to the body as a whole. Iowa Code § 85.34(2)(u). The disability referred to in this section is known as industrial disability, disability to the body as a whole, or simply an `unscheduled injury.' Second Injury Fund v. Braden, 459 N.W.2d 467, 470 (Iowa 1990) (citations omitted). Scheduled weekly benefits are allocated for injury to a specific body part ranging from 20 weeks for the loss of a little finger, to 250 weeks for the loss of an arm. Iowa Code § 85.34(2)(e), (m). In all cases of permanent partial disability from unscheduled injuries, compensation is paid during the number of weeks in relation to 500 weeks as the disability bears to the body of the injured employee as a whole. Iowa Code § 85.34(2)(u). If, as a result of a single accident, an employee receives both an injury to a scheduled member and an injury to parts of the body not included in the schedule, then compensation is based upon industrial disability, not the loss or impairment of the scheduled injury. Mortimer, 502 N.W.2d at 16-17. In determining industrial disability, functional impairment is just one factor. Id. at 14. Other factors include the employee's age, education, qualifications, experience, and the inability of the employee to engage in employment for which the employee is fitted. Id. at 14-15.