Minnesota workers' comp glossary
PTD (Permanent Total Disability)
Benefits when a work injury permanently prevents gainful employment: two-thirds of AWW with a floor of 65% of SAWW, subject to permanency-rating thresholds and government-benefit offsets.
Permanent total disability is the benefit for injuries that permanently end a worker’s ability to hold gainful employment. Minn. Stat. § 176.101, subd. 4 pays two-thirds of the average weekly wage, with an unusual feature: a minimum of 65% of the statewide average weekly wage, which for lower earners can make the PTD rate higher than their TTD rate was.
Eligibility runs through threshold ratings: depending on age and education, a worker generally needs a minimum whole-body PPD rating (17%, 15%, or 13%) before PTD is even available. "Totally disabled" is measured realistically: age, education, training, and the actual labor market count, not just medical restrictions.
After $25,000 of PTD has been paid, government benefits like Social Security disability can offset the weekly rate, and PTD ends at the statutory retirement presumption age. The interaction with SSDI is intricate enough that we built a separate calculator for it.
Related tools & guides
General information, not legal advice. Reviewed by Daniel C. Swenson, Minnesota workers' compensation attorney, Robert Wilson & Associates.