NRS616C.490. Permanent partial disability: Compensation.

      1.  Except as otherwise provided in NRS 616C.175, every employee, in the employ of an employer within the provisions of chapters 616A to 616D, inclusive, of NRS, who is injured by an accident arising out of and in the course of employment is entitled to receive the compensation provided for permanent partial disability. As used in this section, “disability” and “impairment of the whole person” are equivalent terms.

      2.  Within 30 days after receiving from a physician or chiropractor a report indicating that the injured employee may have suffered a permanent disability and is stable and ratable, the insurer shall schedule an appointment with the rating physician or chiropractor selected pursuant to this subsection to determine the extent of the employee’s disability. Unless the insurer and the injured employee otherwise agree to a rating physician or chiropractor:

      (a) The insurer shall select the rating physician or chiropractor from the list of qualified rating physicians and chiropractors designated by the Administrator, to determine the percentage of disability in accordance with the American Medical Association’s Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment as adopted and supplemented by the Division pursuant to NRS 616C.110.

      (b) Rating physicians and chiropractors must be selected in rotation from the list of qualified physicians and chiropractors designated by the Administrator, according to their area of specialization and the order in which their names appear on the list unless the next physician or chiropractor is currently an employee of the insurer making the selection, in which case the insurer must select the physician or chiropractor who is next on the list and who is not currently an employee of the insurer.

      3.  If an insurer contacts the treating physician or chiropractor to determine whether an injured employee has suffered a permanent disability, the insurer shall deliver to the treating physician or chiropractor that portion or a summary of that portion of the American Medical Association’s Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment as adopted by the Division pursuant to NRS 616C.110 that is relevant to the type of injury incurred by the employee.

      4.  At the request of the insurer, the injured employee shall, before an evaluation by a rating physician or chiropractor is performed, notify the insurer of:

      (a) Any previous evaluations performed to determine the extent of any of the employee’s disabilities; and

      (b) Any previous injury, disease or condition sustained by the employee which is relevant to the evaluation performed pursuant to this section.

Ê The notice must be on a form approved by the Administrator and provided to the injured employee by the insurer at the time of the insurer’s request.

      5.  Unless the regulations adopted pursuant to NRS 616C.110 provide otherwise, a rating evaluation must include an evaluation of the loss of motion, sensation and strength of an injured employee if the injury is of a type that might have caused such a loss. Except in the case of claims accepted pursuant to NRS 616C.180, no factors other than the degree of physical impairment of the whole person may be considered in calculating the entitlement to compensation for a permanent partial disability.

      6.  The rating physician or chiropractor shall provide the insurer with his or her evaluation of the injured employee. After receiving the evaluation, the insurer shall, within 14 days, provide the employee with a copy of the evaluation and notify the employee:

      (a) Of the compensation to which the employee is entitled pursuant to this section; or

      (b) That the employee is not entitled to benefits for permanent partial disability.

      7.  Each 1 percent of impairment of the whole person must be compensated by a monthly payment:

      (a) Of 0.5 percent of the claimant’s average monthly wage for injuries sustained before July 1, 1981;

      (b) Of 0.6 percent of the claimant’s average monthly wage for injuries sustained on or after July 1, 1981, and before June 18, 1993;

      (c) Of 0.54 percent of the claimant’s average monthly wage for injuries sustained on or after June 18, 1993, and before January 1, 2000; and

      (d) Of 0.6 percent of the claimant’s average monthly wage for injuries sustained on or after January 1, 2000.

Ê Compensation must commence on the date of the injury or the day following the termination of temporary disability compensation, if any, whichever is later, and must continue on a monthly basis for 5 years or until the claimant is 70 years of age, whichever is later.

      8.  Compensation benefits may be paid annually to claimants who will be receiving less than $100 a month.

      9.  Where there is a previous disability, as the loss of one eye, one hand, one foot, or any other previous permanent disability, the percentage of disability for a subsequent injury must be determined by computing the percentage of the entire disability and deducting therefrom the percentage of the previous disability as it existed at the time of the subsequent injury.

      10.  The Division may adopt schedules for rating permanent disabilities resulting from injuries sustained before July 1, 1973, and reasonable regulations to carry out the provisions of this section.

      11.  The increase in compensation and benefits effected by the amendment of this section is not retroactive for accidents which occurred before July 1, 1973.

      12.  This section does not entitle any person to double payments for the death of an employee and a continuation of payments for a permanent partial disability, or to a greater sum in the aggregate than if the injury had been fatal.

      [63:168:1947; A 1949, 659; 1953, 292]—(NRS A 1959, 204; 1966, 46; 1967, 691; 1969, 475; 1971, 326; 1973, 531; 1975, 605; 1977, 1006; 1979, 1057; 1981, 1170, 1493, 1653; 1983, 428, 1295; 1985, 308, 374; 1987, 78; 1991, 493, 2423, 2424; 1993, 748, 1871; 1995, 579, 2156; 1999, 1791; 2001, 1898; 2009, 3036)