In Queensland, a Whole Person Impairment assessment (WPI) is performed to determine the extent of permanent damage caused by a work-related physical or psychological injury.
The amount of a lump-sum compensation offer that ends a workers’ compensation claim is determined by the assessed permanent impairment rating.
Under the Civil Liability Regulation 2014, whole person impairment (WPI) is an estimated percentage of how much an injury-related permanent impairment has disrupted your capacity to complete everyday tasks.
QLD personal injury legislation outlines the claim process and sets maximum amounts for lump sum offers. Our legal guide explains the following:
Our personal injury lawyers offer a free claim assessment to explain your best options for a WPI payout or a common law damages claim. If you qualify for an additional lump sum, what you do next can block you from receiving further compensation (which is why you need legal advice).
Splatt Lawyer’s workers’ compensation legal team can explain how it works. All of our legal services are backed by a 100% no-win, no-fee, no-risk guarantee. Pay when you win, and nothing if you lose. Call 1800 700 125
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The Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Regulation 2014 states that Whole Person Impairment (WPI) is a measurement system for assessing:
This independent medical assessment can also provide the right to claim:
The impairment percentage determines how much lump-sum compensation you can receive. A WPI assessment can evaluate both physical and psychological injuries to show how much an injury or illness prevents you from earning an income.
Experienced workers’ comp lawyers can explain the legal process and your rights.
Permanent impairment of an injured worker refers to permanent harm, loss of use, or permanent loss of a bodily system or function in a part of the body, including both physical and psychological conditions.
In Queensland, many injuries qualify for a whole-person impairment payout. During the claims process, an independent medical examiner assesses all physical and psychological injuries (one becomes the primary injury) to determine the impact on the claimant’s daily life.
Any type of physical workplace njury that results in permanent damage could qualify for a lump sum benefit payout. According to WorkSafe QLD lump sum payment data, some common physical conditions in Queensland include the following:
In the permanent impairment assessment process, psychological injuries are equally important as physical ones. For Queensland permanent impairment claims, there are two types of mental health assessments.
In such cases, injured workers have two WPI assessments – one for mental health and another for physical damage. The two assessment ratings are not combined into a single whole-person impairment rating. Commonly diagnosed mental health conditions include:
Under the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld) s 179; Guidelines for Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (psychiatric and psychological disorders) use six behavioural criteria to assess your mental illness. They are shown in Section 11.11 of the Queensland Guidelines for Evaluation of Permanent Impairment as follows:
Each of these six scales has 5 class descriptors, which you can view in Tables 11.1 to 11.6 of the PIRS. These five descriptors describe the degree of your mental incapacity, with a higher score indicating a higher degree of impairment.
To qualify for a WPI claim, you must have a permanent impairment assessment of a work-related injury or illness at the end of a workers’ compensation claim.
The entitlement to receive lump sum compensation for permanent loss is covered by s 179 of the Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (Qld), which also provides guidelines for the assessment process. (Guidelines for Evaluation of Permanent Impairment.)
Your percentage of impairment evaluation would determine:
The medical specialist performing your evaluation might also review your medical treatment history and other available medical information.
To claim a Whole Person Impairment (WPI) lump sum in Queensland, you must have an accepted WorkCover claim and then reach maximum medical improvement. Then an approved medical specialist must complete an independent medical assessment, with a minimum impairment threshold of 1%. Here are the steps of the claim process:
What you do next will determine your total compensation, as your choice can block your right to make a common law claim.
If you are eligible to make a whole-person impairment claim, your finances may be limited. That’s why our workers’ compensation lawyers offer a 100% no win, no-fee guarantee, which means the following:
A free case review with our personal injury compensation lawyers can explain how to access our 100% No Win, No Fee funding. Pay only when you win, and nothing if you lose. Call 1800 700 125
In Queensland, the value of a workers’ compensation lump sum offer is determined by the degree of permanent impairment as assessed by an independent medical doctor, or occasionally the Medical Assessment Tribunal (‘MAT’). This process considers the severity of both physical and psychological impairments using these steps.
Note: You must reach maximum medical improvement with no further changes before you can have a WPI assessment.
The stage of recovery known as maximum medical improvement (MMI) occurs when your condition has stabilised and is not likely to get any better, even with extra medical treatment.
This system of ratings applies legal standards to provide a fair and unbiased assessment for those affected by a workplace injury using the:
In Queensland, a Whole Person Impairment Calculator can help estimate the amount of lump-sum compensation for workplace injuries. A calculator uses the whole person impairment (WPI) percentage from a medical assessment to find the corresponding value in the ISV table.
From 1st July 2026, under the WorkSafe QLD Lump Sum Payments rules, permanent impairment lump payments in QLD range from around $4,311 for a 1% Degree of Permanent Impairment (DPI) to $431,100 or higher for serious injury ratings.
The Workers’ Compensation and Rehabilitation Act 2003 (QLD) allows the following:
From 1 July 2026, each 1% of DPI is worth $4,311 in a WorkCover lump sum offer for permanent impairment, with a maximum combined lump sum of $862,222 for 100% DPI.
The Whole Person Impairment Table for QLD 2026 systematically matches the level of impairment with the corresponding payout amount.
Dominant Injury | Minimum ISV | Maximum ISV | Minimum Damages S | Maximum Damages S |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Paraplegia | 60 | 80 | 232,160 | 348,220 |
Serious Brain Injury | 56 | 70 | 211,060 | 288,405 |
Moderate Brain Injury | 21 | 55 | 52,935 | 205,795 |
Serious Mental Disorder | 11 | 40 | 23,595 | 130,025 |
Serious Facial Injury | 14 | 25 | 31,615 | 66,720 |
Moderate Facial Scarring | 6 | 10 | 11,750 | 20,925 |
Serious eye injury | 11 | 25 | 23,595 | 66,720 |
Moderate ear injury | 11 | 25 | 23,595 | 66,720 |
Extreme chest injury | 46 | 65 | 159,680 | 260,285 |
Serious shoulder injury | 16 | 30 | 37,340 | 85,985 |
Moderate knee injury | 6 | 10 | 11,750 | 20,925 |
Serious cervical spine injury | 16 | 40 | 37,340
| 130,025 |
Moderate hernia | 6 | 10 | 11,750 | 20,925 |
Eligible injured workers can seek further compensation after a WPI lump sum payment by making a common law damages claim. A successful outcome depends on proving that employer negligence caused or contributed to the illness or injuries sustained.
It is highly recommended that you get advice from a personal injury lawyer about your entitlements under the Queensland workers’ compensation scheme. They can advise on the best course of action, including:
When injured workers in Queensland understand the difference between WPI lump sum payouts and common law damages claims, they can make an informed decision to protect their rights and secure fair compensation for their injuries.
WPI Claim | Common Law Claim | |
|---|---|---|
Basis of Claim | Statutory entitlement – do not need to prove negligence | Must prove negligence |
Eligibility | No minimum rating | Must prove negligence with a related financial loss |
Compensation Payout | DPI rating determines payout value | Compensation considers more factors, i.e. “heads of damages” |
Time Limits | Strict time limits apply for claim lodgement beginning with a WPI assessment | Strict time limit starts from the injury date or becoming aware of an injury |
Your Legal Rights | DPI below 20% – accept WPI lump sum offer OR make a common law claim | DPI above 20% make a common law claim AND receive WPI payout |
NOTE: The WorkCover website recommends seeking legal advice when deciding your options at the end of a workers’ compensation claim. That’s because accepting a lump-sum offer can block you from pursuing common law damages, depending on your individual circumstances.
Our personal injury lawyers offer a QLD-wide free review that can explain what to do next after a WorkCover lump sum offer, including your right to make a common law damages claim.
They can also explain if you qualify for an additional lump sum payout and how to make sure you can receive all your entitlements.
All our legal services are covered by our 100% no-win, no-fee guarantee, which means you pay only for a win, with no upfront costs or hidden fees. Call 1800 700 125
Splatt Lawyers provides legal advice for whole-person impairment claims from ten QLD-wide locations
Any injury or illness (including a mental illness) that results in a permanent loss of use or damage to a part of your body, bodily system or function can result in a claim for permanent impairmen
The Injury Scale Value (ISV) in Queensland is a numerical rating out of 100 that assesses the severity of a personal injury or illness to calculate general damages for pain and suffering.
In Queensland, a whole person impairment (WPI) lump sum payout is a one-off compensation payment for an injured person for the permanent physical or psychological damage resulting from a work-related injury
A 30% impairment rating is a medical rating score that measures permanent loss of psychological or physical ability and indicates a substantial long-term impact on future health and work capacity.
A 10% whole person impairment (WPI) rating indicates that an injury has resulted in a 10% permanent loss of overall mental or physical bodily function.
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