The key point is that a functional capacity evaluation is not the same thing as an impairment rating. A functional capacity evaluation, often called an FCE, measures what a person can physically do now: lifting, carrying, pushing, pulling, standing, walking, bending, reaching, and how long those activities can be done safely. An impairment rating is different. It is a medical opinion, usually expressed as a percentage, about permanent loss of body function after recovery has leveled off.

That difference matters after a crash because an FCE is often used to answer work questions, not just medical ones. After a company-vehicle wreck on US-85 or a winter pileup on I-94, an insurer, employer, or doctor may want to know whether the injured person can return to heavy labor, commercial driving, or only light-duty work. The results can affect wage-loss claims, vocational rehabilitation, and disputes over whether restrictions are real and ongoing.

In North Dakota, this issue comes up often in workers' compensation cases handled through Workforce Safety & Insurance (WSI), especially in trucking, oilfield, farm, and manufacturing jobs. An FCE can support or undermine a doctor's restrictions, and insurers may rely on it when deciding whether benefits continue. If the evaluation says a worker can do more than their treating doctor believes, that can become a major fight. Because of that, the referral reason, testing method, and whether the evaluator considered pain flare-ups and job demands can all affect an injury claim.