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 - this is the book you have to use in california to do disabilityThis book requires that you attend several seminars, buy several other books explainig how to use the charts, what the intent of the book was vs what you have to do to make things work. If you do diability work in California, buy this book. Rating:  - I thought less emotional review is needed...I still feel that those people below who feel that this book is the greatest thing since sliced bread are biased and must have some interest in the book. This book does have many contributors. Here's my frank take on it. If your state requires you to use this book for impairment ratings, you have no choice but to purchasing it. However, be aware that this book is extremely inconsistent and you will certainly have to attend some type of seminars or educational sessions in order to use it effectively. This book is actually a step backward from previous editions. Each region of the body uses different ratings system and the language is vague at best and in some cases seems to mean opposite of it's intention. This book will not be able to prepare you for impairment rating. It may only be used as reference after learning the system from someone who has used it. This book must have gained authority from good lobby rather than quality contents. Rating:  - Vital for CompSimply necessary to understanding doctor reports. Only odd part is how the "patient" in the pictures looks like Saddam Hussein. Maybe he's filing a claim too. Rating: - A must for professionals in disability law and medicineThe 5th Edition is the Rosetta Stone for evaluating permanent impairment. It is invaluable in workers' compensation, where many states, provinces and several countries either mandate its use or treat this work as an authorativie source of impairment evaluation. It may also come to have utility in ADA cases, especially with its emphasis on activities of daily living, and as a predicate to demonstrating the significance or insignificance of an impairment's effect on major life activities after Toyota vs Williams. The vision chapter represents the AMA's first major, published revision to the science and knowledge of eye impairments since the early 1900's. Rating: - Nice ChartsAlthough my copy came with 10 pages of errata sheets stuck in the front of it (presumably cured in the 5th version), I still got a lot out of reading through this book. The descriptions of impairment are de regeur reading for coming up with convincing settlement demands for soft tissue injuries. Someone's shoulder hurts? How do you say they have lost 20% of their upper body use as a result? Why not 90% of one finger, 50% of one hand, and 80% of one arm? Multiple impairments like these can be descriptively segmented to more fully elaborate what a patient is feeling, and how they are limited in daily activities. Both the plaintiff bar and the insurance community are well-served by this book. As for the medical accuracy of it, I'll take the AMA's word for it.
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