The duration of permanent disability benefits in North Carolina depends on whether the disability is partial or total, following the Industrial Commission’s schedule and statutes. For Permanent Partial Disability, your physician assigns an impairment rating after maximum medical improvement, and benefits are calculated by multiplying that rating by the scheduled weeks for the affected body part and your compensation rate. Permanent Total Disability applies when you cannot engage in any gainful employment, with benefits generally limited to 500 weeks unless extended in catastrophic cases or proven loss of wage‑earning capacity.