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If you are searching for a workers comp settlement chart, you probably want to know what your California case is worth. The honest answer is that California does not price injuries by body part. The law turns your permanent disability rating into a set number of weeks of payments, and a settlement starts from that number. Below, we explain how that formula works, what can raise or lower a settlement, and what to consider before you sign.
Is there an official workers’ comp settlement chart in California?
No. No official California chart lists settlement amounts by body part. A settlement usually starts from your permanent disability rating, which Labor Code section 4658 converts into weeks of payments. The value of future medical care matters too when a settlement closes it. Two workers with the same injury can receive very different amounts.
Key Takeaways
- For injuries on or after January 1, 2013, a doctor rates whole person impairment under the AMA Guides, Fifth Edition, and the rating is multiplied by 1.4 (Lab. Code 4660.1(b)).
- Each percentage point of permanent disability buys a set number of weeks, from 3 weeks per point at low ratings to 16 weeks per point at 70% and above (Lab. Code 4658(e)).
- Permanent disability pays two-thirds of average weekly earnings, which works out to $160 to $290 a week for injuries on or after 2014 (Lab. Code 4453(b)(9)).
- A Compromise and Release pays one lump sum and usually ends future medical care; a Stipulated Award pays over time and usually keeps medical care open (DWC Injured Worker Guidebook).
- A workers’ compensation judge must approve every settlement and the attorney’s fee, which DWC says is usually 9 to 15 percent (Lab. Code 5001).
Is This Your Situation?
- The insurance company sent you a settlement offer and you do not know if the number is fair.
- Your doctor says your condition is permanent and stationary, and you received a rating report.
- Someone told you what injuries like yours are “worth,” and the figure came from a chart online.
- The adjuster wants you to sign a Compromise and Release, and you still need medical treatment.
- You had surgery, or a doctor recommended one, and you wonder how that affects your case.
Is There an Official California Workers Comp Settlement Chart?
No. Many workers comp settlement charts online list an “average” payout for a back, knee or shoulder injury. Those figures usually come from national claim-cost data or reader surveys, not from California settlement records.
California uses a formula instead. The DWC Injured Worker Guidebook explains that permanent disability depends on the doctor’s rating, your age when injured and your occupation, and that payments are “spread over a fixed number of weeks.” A knee injury with a 5% rating and one with a 30% rating lead to very different numbers, even though both are knee injuries.
How Is a Workers’ Comp Settlement Calculated in California?
A settlement offer usually follows these steps. Each one can change the final number.
- The doctor rates your impairment. Once your condition stops improving, a treating doctor or a qualified medical evaluator rates whole person impairment under the AMA Guides, Fifth Edition. For injuries on or after 2013, the law multiplies that rating by 1.4 (Lab. Code 4660.1(b)).
- The schedule adjusts the rating for age and occupation. The 2005 rating schedule adjusts the rating for your occupation and your age at the time of injury (Lab. Code 4660.1(d)).
- Apportionment may reduce it. If part of the disability comes from other causes, such as an older injury, the doctor may assign that share elsewhere. The law says “Apportionment of permanent disability shall be based on causation” (Lab. Code 4663(a)).
- The final rating becomes weeks. Labor Code 4658(e) assigns weeks for each percentage point, and the weeks add up as the rating rises (see the chart below).
- Your weekly rate sets the dollar amount. The rate is two-thirds of your average weekly earnings. For injuries on or after January 1, 2014, the law counts earnings of at least $240 and no more than $435 a week, so the rate falls between $160 and $290 (Lab. Code 4453(b)(9)).
- The parties value future medical care. If the settlement closes your right to future treatment, the parties also estimate what that care would cost.
Temporary disability is separate. It replaces wages while you recover, and the 2026 weekly range is $264.61 to $1,764.11 (DIR). Our article on how much workers’ comp pays explains those weekly checks.
Permanent Disability Weeks Chart for Injuries on or After 2013
This is the closest thing California has to a workers comp settlement chart. It comes from Labor Code 4658(e), which sets the weeks of payments for each 1 percent of permanent disability.
| Permanent disability rating | Weeks paid for each 1 percent in this range |
|---|---|
| 0.25% to 9.75% | 3 weeks |
| 10% to 14.75% | 4 weeks |
| 15% to 24.75% | 5 weeks |
| 25% to 29.75% | 6 weeks |
| 30% to 49.75% | 7 weeks |
| 50% to 69.75% | 8 weeks |
| 70% to 99.75% | 16 weeks |
| 100% | Paid for life (Lab. Code 4659(b)) |
The statute says the weeks “shall be cumulative,” so each band adds to the bands below it. A higher rating adds weeks at a faster pace. Ratings of 70% or more also earn a life pension after the regular weeks end (Lab. Code 4659(a)). The pension pays 1.5 percent of average weekly earnings for each percentage point above 60. A total disability of 100% is paid “during the remainder of life” (Lab. Code 4659(b)). Our permanent disability benefits page explains how to challenge a rating.
Added up, those weeks produce the totals below for injuries on or after January 1, 2014. Each total is the weeks for that rating multiplied by the minimum or maximum weekly rate. Your own rate depends on your earnings, so most workers fall somewhere between the two columns.
| Final PD rating | Total weeks | Total at the $160 minimum rate | Total at the $290 maximum rate |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | 15 | $2,400 | $4,350 |
| 10% | 30.25 | $4,840 | $8,772.50 |
| 15% | 50.5 | $8,080 | $14,645 |
| 20% | 75.5 | $12,080 | $21,895 |
| 25% | 100.75 | $16,120 | $29,217.50 |
| 30% | 131 | $20,960 | $37,990 |
| 40% | 201 | $32,160 | $58,290 |
| 50% | 271.25 | $43,400 | $78,662.50 |
| 60% | 351.25 | $56,200 | $101,862.50 |
| 70% | 433.25 | $69,320 | $125,642.50 |
These totals cover permanent disability payments only. They do not include a life pension, future medical care, temporary disability or the job displacement voucher, and they come before any attorney’s fee.
What Can Raise or Lower a Workers’ Comp Settlement?
The body part matters less than the rating and the facts behind it. These factors often decide the number:
- The medical reports. A rating from a treating doctor and one from a medical evaluator can differ, and the rating drives the weeks.
- Your occupation and age. The schedule adjusts the same impairment differently for different jobs and ages.
- Apportionment. A share assigned to a prior injury or another cause can lower the rating (Lab. Code 4663).
- Your earnings. Higher earnings raise the weekly rate, up to the $290 cap.
- Future medical needs. Expected surgery, medication or therapy can add value when a settlement closes medical care.
- Psychiatric, sleep and sexual dysfunction add-ons. For injuries on or after 2013, these generally cannot increase the rating, with exceptions for violent acts and catastrophic injuries (Lab. Code 4660.1(c)).
Head and brain injuries can involve several body systems and long-term care. Our article on brain injury workers’ comp claims covers those cases. A workers’ compensation attorney can evaluate how these factors apply to your rating.
Compromise and Release vs. Stipulated Award
California has two main types of workers’ comp settlements. The DWC Guidebook describes both.
| Stipulations with Request for Award | Compromise and Release | |
|---|---|---|
| How you are paid | Permanent disability payments over time, on an agreed schedule | One lump sum |
| Future medical care | Usually continues for the injury | The insurer usually stops paying your doctor if the lump sum covers future care |
| Claim for new and further disability | Can be filed within five years of the injury date (Lab. Code 5410) | Settles the parts of the claim the agreement releases |
| Judge approval | Required (Lab. Code 5002) | Required (Lab. Code 5001) |
A lump sum can look larger today. Once medical care closes, you may have to pay for future treatment for the injury yourself, so the choice depends on your medical outlook. Our article on whether a workers’ comp settlement is taxable covers lump sums. If you also receive state disability or Social Security benefits, our article on workers’ comp and disability explains how they interact.
Does a Judge Have to Approve a Workers’ Comp Settlement?
Yes. Under Labor Code 5001, “No release of liability or compromise agreement is valid unless it is approved by the appeals board or referee.” The DWC Guidebook says a workers’ compensation judge reviews a settlement to decide whether it is adequate. The judge also approves any attorney’s fee before your lawyer can collect it (Lab. Code 4906(b)).
What to Consider Before You Accept a Settlement Offer
- Consider getting a copy of every rating report. The offer should match the rating, your occupation and your age. A mistake in any of these can lower the weeks.
- Consider your future medical needs first. Ask your doctor what treatment you may need. A Compromise and Release usually ends that care.
- Consider which settlement type fits. A Stipulated Award keeps medical care open and leaves room for a new and further disability claim within five years of the injury.
- Consider your return-to-work benefits. If you cannot return to your job, you may receive a job displacement voucher of up to $6,000. The law does not allow you to settle away that voucher (Lab. Code 4658.7).
- Consider speaking with a workers’ compensation attorney before you sign. A lawyer can check the rating, the earnings figure and the value of future care before the judge reviews the deal.
If your claim was denied or your payments stopped, a settlement may not be the next step. Our denied and delayed claims page explains those disputes, and our article on how workers’ comp works in California covers the full claim process.
Frequently Asked Questions About Workers’ Comp Settlements
What is the average workers’ comp settlement in California?
No official California average exists, and there is no typical amount. The figures online usually come from national data or surveys, not California records. Your own value depends on your permanent disability rating, the weeks it earns under Labor Code 4658(e), your weekly rate and any future medical care the settlement closes.
Which body part has the highest value in a workers’ comp claim?
None, by law. California does not rank body parts. Value follows the final rating, which depends on impairment, occupation and age (Lab. Code 4660.1). Injuries that affect several body parts or lead to a high rating usually produce more weeks.
What does a 30% impairment rating mean?
It depends on which 30% it is. A doctor’s whole person impairment is only the starting point. For injuries on or after 2013, the law multiplies it by 1.4, and the schedule then adjusts it for occupation and age (Lab. Code 4660.1). Apportionment can lower it (Lab. Code 4663). A final permanent disability rating of 30% earns 131 weeks under Labor Code 4658(e). That comes to $20,960 to $37,990 for injuries on or after 2014. Each point from 30% to 49.75% adds 7 more weeks.
Does surgery increase a workers’ comp settlement?
Possibly. California does not add a fixed amount for surgery. Surgery can affect the impairment rating your doctor assigns and the cost of future care, and both drive the settlement (DWC Guidebook).
Do injections increase a workers’ comp settlement?
Not by themselves. Like surgery, injections do not add a set amount. What counts is your final rating and, when a Compromise and Release closes future medical care, the expected cost of that care (DWC Injured Worker Guidebook). Consider asking your doctor whether you may need more injections before you weigh an offer.
How much does a workers’ comp lawyer take in California?
Usually 9 to 15 percent. The DWC says the fee is “usually 9 to 15 percent of your final permanent disability settlement or award,” and a judge must approve it (DWC). Your lawyer cannot collect a fee before the appeals board approves the amount (Lab. Code 4906(b)).
What is a reasonable workers’ comp settlement offer?
It depends on your rating. A fair offer generally accounts for the weeks your final rating earns at your weekly rate, plus the value of any future care the settlement closes. A judge must still find the settlement adequate before it becomes final (Lab. Code 5001).
What is the maximum workers’ comp benefit in California?
It depends on the benefit. Temporary disability for 2026 injuries tops out at $1,764.11 a week (DIR). Permanent partial disability tops out at $290 a week. A worker with a 100% rating receives payments for life (Lab. Code 4659(b)).
What happens after 2 years of workers’ comp in California?
Temporary disability may end. For most injuries on or after 2008, temporary disability cannot exceed 104 compensable weeks within five years of the injury (Lab. Code 4656(c)(2)). Some serious conditions, such as amputations and severe burns, allow up to 240 weeks. Permanent disability and medical care follow their own rules.
Does Medicare affect a workers’ comp settlement?
Possibly. If a settlement closes future medical care, part of the money may go into a Workers’ Compensation Medicare Set-Aside, and those funds “must be depleted before Medicare will pay” for treatment of the injury. CMS reviews set-aside proposals when you are a Medicare beneficiary and the settlement is over $25,000, or when you expect to enroll in Medicare within 30 months and the settlement is over $250,000. CMS calls submitting a proposal “a recommended process.”
Can I be terminated while on workers’ comp in California?
Not because of the claim. Labor Code 132a bars an employer from firing or discriminating against a worker for filing a claim. An employer may still end employment for unrelated reasons. Our article on being fired for filing workers’ comp explains the remedies.
Can I get the $5,000 return-to-work payment on top of my settlement?
Possibly. Workers injured on or after 2013 who receive a job displacement voucher “may also qualify for an additional one-time $5,000 payment” through the state’s Return-to-Work Supplement Program. The application is due within one year of the date the voucher was served.
When to Talk to a Workers’ Comp Lawyer About a Settlement
You may have received an offer, a rating report or a Compromise and Release to sign. Your doctor may say you still need care, or the offer may not match what your injury has cost you. In these situations, consider speaking with a California workers’ compensation attorney. A lawyer can help by reviewing the medical reports, checking how the rating was calculated and explaining your settlement options. Settlement terms may be hard to undo once a judge approves them, so early advice matters.
At Abramson Labor Group, we represent injured workers across California through our workers’ compensation practice. Our case reviews are free and confidential, and we work on contingency. Request your free case evaluation, contact us, or call us at (213) 493-6300.
This article is general information about California law, not legal advice. Every situation is different. For advice about your specific case, talk to a licensed California employment attorney.