Workers comp settlement chart — payout by body part & state

Average settlement by body part

Settlement amounts vary by severity within each body part. The four severity columns below correspond to: minor (no surgery, conservative care), moderate (surgery or significant impairment), severe (multi-level surgery or major permanent restriction), maximum (catastrophic / permanent total impairment).

Maximum weekly benefit by state — 2025 rates

Every state sets its own weekly cap. High earners hit the cap and receive substantially less than two-thirds of pre-injury wage. Below is the full 50-state breakdown, sorted alphabetically.

Three things this chart hides

Averages mislead. Three patterns inside the chart that aren't obvious:

1. Surgical cases settle for 2–3× their non-surgical equivalents

The "moderate" column reflects surgical intervention. A non-surgical back strain settles in the $20K–$40K range; a back surgery with hardware settles at $80K–$300K. The single decision (whether to undergo surgery) often doubles or triples the settlement.

2. Permanent impairment rating drives PPD lump-sum

The lump-sum portion of the settlement = scheduled weeks × weekly benefit × impairment rating (typically 5%–50%). A 25% back rating in Illinois on a $1,000/week earner = 400 weeks × $666.67 × 0.25 = $66,667. The rating is negotiable in many states and worth fighting for.

3. State weekly cap is the most overlooked variable

A $2,500/week earner in Georgia (cap $800) receives $800/week regardless of the wage. The same worker in Iowa (cap $2,161) receives $1,666.67/week. Same injury, same wage — $866/week difference just from the state cap.