With the new year 2003 the new Polish "Law on Social Security Insurance in case of Workplace Accidents and Occupational Illness" came into force, which annulled the previous "Law on Benefits in case of Workplace Accidents and Occupational Illness", dating from 1975, together with its executive provisions, which contained as an Appendix a table for determining the percentage of health loss in a given case. This article, comparing the previous and current laws, analyzes their influence on the process of delivering certificates in legal medicine. In the area of direct interest to the legal medicine practitioner there is practically no difference caused by the introduction of the new law, but because of the lack of executive provisions to the new law, the former directive concerning the principles and mode of issuance of loss-of-health certification, including the health loss percentage table, will continue to be applied.