How workers' comp math actually works
Unlike every other tool in this suite, there is no pain-and-suffering multiplier here — because workers' compensation does not pay for pain and suffering at all. Instead, the system prices your claim with arithmetic:
TTD = Weekly Rate × Weeks of Temporary Disability
PPD = Weekly Rate × (Schedule Weeks × Impairment Rating %)
Claim Value = TTD + PPD + Future Medical (lump sum typically discounted)
Every variable except your wage is contestable — and insurers contest all of them. The impairment rating gets sent to their examiner; the weeks out get scrutinized for light-duty availability; future medical gets discounted to present value and argued down on utilization review. The schedule is the only half-fixed number in the room.
The trade you made without knowing it
Workers' comp is the "grand bargain" of injury law: you surrendered the right to sue your employer for negligence — and with it, any general-damages recovery — in exchange for guaranteed medical care and wage replacement regardless of fault. That is why a workplace fracture that would be worth $60,000+ against a negligent driver prices on a schedule against your employer. The impairment rating is the system's substitute for pain and suffering: objective, capped, and permanently debatable.
Typical schedule weeks by body part
| Body part | Illustrative schedule weeks | 10% rating at $900/wk yields |
|---|---|---|
| Back / spine (whole-person most states) | ~400 | $36,000 |
| Arm | ~312 | $28,080 |
| Leg | ~288 | $25,920 |
| Hand | ~244 | $21,960 |
| Foot | ~205 | $18,450 |
These are representative mid-values for orientation only — actual schedules range from under 100 weeks to over 500 weeks for the same body part across states, and several states have abandoned schedules entirely for whole-person ratings. Your statute controls.
Stipulations vs. Compromise & Release
Most comp cases resolve one of two ways. A stipulated award pays the permanent disability over time and — critically — leaves future medical open. A Compromise & Release buys out everything, including future treatment, for one check. The C&R number is bigger precisely because it includes the insurer's estimated future medical exposure. If your condition is stable or fully resolved, cashing out can make sense. If surgery is plausible in five years, closing medical is the expensive version of the deal.
What moves the final number
- The rating fight: treating doctor says 18%, defense QME says 6% — that gap is worth tens of thousands on a back schedule. Most settlements split the difference.
- Apportionment: every prior injury, condition, or "degenerative change" the insurer can attribute elsewhere comes off your rating.
- Age and occupation multipliers: many rating systems adjust for both before the rating ever hits the schedule.
- Liens: EDD/state disability, child support, and medical-provider liens get paid out of the settlement before you see a check.
- Medicare set-asides: Medicare-eligible claimants may need to carve future medical into a protected arrangement before a C&R is approved.
Frequently asked questions
How is a workers' comp settlement calculated?
Three components: temporary disability (two-thirds of average weekly wage, capped by state maximum, for weeks off work), permanent disability (impairment rating × scheduled weeks for the body part × weekly rate), and projected future medical. The lump-sum compromise usually lands below the raw sum — insurers discount for present value and dispute risk.
Does workers' comp pay pain and suffering?
No — ever. Comp is a no-fault trade: you gave up negligence suits and general damages in exchange for guaranteed benefits regardless of fault. The impairment rating is the objective substitute. The only escape hatch is a third-party claim (a negligent driver, a defective machine), which is a separate lawsuit stacked on top of comp.
What does my impairment rating actually do?
It is the biggest lever on permanent-disability value: your rating percentage multiplies your state's scheduled weeks for that body part, and the result is paid at your weekly comp rate. A 10% rating on a 312-week arm is 31.2 weeks; at a $900 weekly rate, roughly $28,000 before medical. Ratings are the most litigated single number in comp.
Should I take a lump sum (Compromise & Release)?
It depends on one question: will you need treatment later? A C&R closes everything, including future medical, for a bigger check. If your condition is stable, it can be the right exit; if future surgery is plausible, keeping medical open via a stipulated award is usually worth more than the discount you're paid to close it. Settlements require a comp judge's approval either way.
Is this calculator legal advice — and is my data stored?
No to both. Statutes, schedules, and caps vary widely by state and change frequently; this is an educational model. All arithmetic executes locally in this browser tab — inputs are never transmitted, logged, or stored.