External
Where deterioration is involved and the impairment is currently less than 10%, there may be a possibility that at some future stage the impairment will become permanent and meet that 10% threshold.
In these cases, advise the employee that, at this stage, the claim has been deferred, until such time as the treating doctor is able to indicate that the condition has stabilised.
However, where the employee then disputes the percentage the doctor has provided, continue the investigation, and have the employee examined by an independent doctor/specialist to ascertain what the correct degree of impairment is.