Workers' Comp Settlement Calculator

A settlement generally combines three things: your medical costs, your lost-wage (temporary disability) benefits while you were off work, and your permanent partial disability (PPD) award. The PPD award is the body part's scheduled number of weeks multiplied by your impairment rating and by your weekly compensation rate — about two-thirds of your average weekly wage.

In most states the weekly compensation rate is two-thirds (66.67%) of your average weekly wage, calculated from your gross earnings over the weeks before your injury. Each state applies a maximum and minimum weekly rate, so a very high wage is capped at the state maximum.

When you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI) — the point where your doctor believes you have healed as much as you will — the doctor may assign an impairment rating. It is a percentage that represents your permanent loss of function in the injured body part, and it drives the permanent-disability portion of a settlement.

Each state sets its own schedule of how many weeks of benefits a body part is worth. An arm, for example, may be worth roughly 200 weeks in one state and over 300 in another. This calculator prefills an approximate value you can edit — use your own state's schedule for a more accurate figure.

Usually, yes. A workers' comp settlement can cover past and future medical treatment, temporary disability benefits for the time you could not work, and permanent disability benefits. Some settlements close out future medical care in exchange for a larger lump sum, which is an important trade-off to review with an attorney.

No. Workers' compensation is highly state-specific and this tool is only a rough estimate. Your actual settlement depends on your state's rates and schedules, whether future medical is included, and negotiation with the insurer. Consult a licensed workers' compensation attorney before settling.