What is the difference between total disability and partial disability?

Total disability and partial disability both refer to the effects of an injury on a worker’s ability to perform labor. In California, workers’ compensation law recognizes two types of disability benefits: total disability and partial disability. Total disability occurs when an employee is completely unable to work due to their injury. In this case, the worker is eligible to receive full disability benefits, including payment of their medical bills and a percentage of their lost wages. Partial disability occurs when an employee is able to perform some, but not all, of their job duties due to their injury. In this case, the worker is eligible to receive partial disability benefits, which are typically a lower percentage of lost wages than is awarded for total disability. The difference between total disability and partial disability is that with partial disability an employee can continue to work, albeit in a reduced capacity. This means that an employee cannot receive both total disability and partial disability at the same time, as the two benefits are mutually exclusive.

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What is the difference between total disability and partial disability?

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