Workers' Comp Settlement Calculator

Understanding Your Workers' Comp Settlement — Before You Sign Anything

When a workplace injury forces you off the job, workers' compensation is supposed to protect you — covering your medical bills and replacing a portion of your lost wages while you recover. But there's a gap most injured workers don't realize exists: the insurance company already knows what your claim is worth. Their adjusters use specific formulas based on your wage, your state's benefit schedule, and your permanent impairment rating. Most workers accept settlements without knowing those numbers.

This calculator gives you that same framework — so you can walk into any conversation with the insurance company knowing what a fair offer looks like.

The Three Components Every Settlement Contains

Temporary Total Disability (TTD) covers the period when you physically cannot work. Most states pay 2/3 of your pre-injury weekly wage, up to a state maximum, for as long as you're totally disabled. These payments stop when your doctor says you've reached Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) — the point where further treatment won't significantly improve your condition.

Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) is typically the largest piece of the settlement. Once you reach MMI, a physician assigns a permanent impairment rating — a percentage that represents how much function you've permanently lost. That percentage is multiplied by your TTD rate and your state's authorized benefit weeks (generally 300–500 weeks depending on the state) to produce your PPD payout.

Medical cost coverage includes past treatment bills and, critically, future medical expenses. Future costs — additional surgeries, ongoing physical therapy, prescription medications, pain management — are either covered by the carrier on an open basis or negotiated as a lump sum. Underestimating future medical needs is one of the most common and costly mistakes injured workers make when settling too early.

Why First Settlement Offers Are Almost Always Low

Insurance carriers make settlement offers based on their own valuation — then start below it. Research from the Workers' Compensation Research Institute consistently shows that unrepresented workers settle for significantly less than represented workers with comparable injuries, even after accounting for attorney fees. The gap exists because adjusters are trained negotiators working from data that most claimants have never seen.

Use the calculator below to build your own estimate before accepting anything. Enter your wages, injury severity, and medical costs — the tool applies the same formula structure insurers use and shows you a realistic settlement range based on national averages. Your actual result will vary by state and case specifics, but it gives you a grounded starting point for any negotiation.