Estimate what a permanent partial disability (PPD) claim settles for
A permanent partial disability settlement starts with one formula: scheduled weeks for the injured body part, times your impairment rating, times your weekly rate. The weekly rate is two-thirds of your average weekly wage, capped by your state. A hand (244 weeks) at a 20% rating with a $1,000 wage works out to about $32,533.
Impairment ratings are assigned at maximum medical improvement (MMI), usually under the AMA Guides. If you don't have a rating yet, try a few values to see the spread.
This calculator is for education only and is not legal advice. Every case is different; talk to a licensed attorney in your state before making decisions.
| Body Part | Scheduled Weeks |
|---|---|
| Arm | 312 |
| Leg | 288 |
| Hand | 244 |
| Foot | 205 |
| Eye | 160 |
| Thumb | 75 |
| Hearing in one ear | 60 |
| Index finger | 46 |
| Great toe | 38 |
| Second finger | 30 |
| Third finger | 25 |
| Other toes | 16 |
| Fourth finger | 15 |
Week counts from New York WCL §15(3), which mirrors the federal LHWCA schedule. Other states publish the same kind of chart with different week counts, so check your state's version.
| Body Part | 10% Rating | 20% Rating | 30% Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arm (312 wks) | $20,800 | $41,600 | $62,400 |
| Leg (288 wks) | $19,200 | $38,400 | $57,600 |
| Hand (244 wks) | $16,267 | $32,533 | $48,800 |
| Foot (205 wks) | $13,667 | $27,333 | $41,000 |
| Eye (160 wks) | $10,667 | $21,333 | $32,000 |
| Thumb (75 wks) | $5,000 | $10,000 | $15,000 |
$666.67 is the weekly rate for a worker averaging $1,000 a week (two-thirds of the wage, under most state caps). Higher earners hit their state's cap and the table compresses.
When a work injury leaves permanent damage, the claim usually resolves as a permanent partial disability (PPD) award or a lump-sum settlement built on top of one. This tool estimates that number from the same inputs adjusters use: your wage, the body part, and your impairment rating. For scale, a 2016 Martindale-Nolo reader survey put the average settlement at $21,800, with 55% of workers receiving between $2,000 and $20,000, and serious permanent injuries settling far higher.
In most states the PPD award is scheduled weeks × impairment rating × weekly rate, where the weekly rate is two-thirds of your average weekly wage capped at a state maximum. New York's cap is $1,281.50 for injuries from July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027; Georgia's is $800; Iowa's PPD maximum is set from the state average weekly wage and now runs north of $2,200. Two states do it differently. Texas pays impairment income benefits: 3 weeks per rating point at 70% of your wage. Florida uses tiers: 2 weeks per point for ratings up to 10%, then 3, 4, and 6 weeks per point as the rating climbs, paid at 75% of the TTD rate. An 18% Florida rating earns 47 weeks.
Enter your average weekly wage (gross, before taxes), pick your benefit model, choose the body part, and set the rating from your doctor's MMI report. Then layer in what settlements actually include: unpaid back TTD weeks, an estimate for future medical care, and a discount if the insurer disputes liability. The range in the hero reflects reality: settlements cluster around the math, but negotiation moves them.
A warehouse worker earning $1,000 a week crushes her hand. Weekly rate: two-thirds of $1,000, or $666.67. At MMI her doctor assigns a 20% rating. Hand = 244 scheduled weeks, so 244 × 20% = 48.8 weeks, × $666.67 ≈ $32,533. A higher earner does better until the cap bites: an arm (312 weeks) at 15% with a $1,200 wage pays the full $800 rate, about $37,440.
Start with the permanent partial disability award: scheduled weeks for the body part × impairment rating × weekly rate, where the weekly rate is two-thirds of your average weekly wage up to a state cap. Then add unpaid back TTD and the value of future medical, and subtract a discount if liability is disputed. A hand at 20% with a $1,000 wage comes to about $32,533.
It's the percentage of permanent function a doctor says you lost, assigned once you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI), the point where further treatment won't meaningfully help. Most states require ratings to follow the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment. The rating multiplies straight into your award: a 20% hand is worth exactly twice a 10% hand.
A 2016 Martindale-Nolo reader survey put the average settlement at $21,800, with 55% of workers receiving between $2,000 and $20,000. Serious permanent injuries settle far higher. Averages hide the real drivers, though: your wage, your body part's scheduled weeks, and your impairment rating set your number, which is why two workers with the same injury can settle five figures apart.
A lump sum (a Section 32 settlement, in New York's parlance) gets you cash now, but it usually closes out future medical coverage and can't be reopened. Structured payments keep benefits flowing and often preserve medical care. If you're on Medicare or close to eligibility, a Medicare set-aside may be required. Have a lawyer price both before you pick.
Often, yes. Lump-sum settlements usually close out future medical care for the injury, which is why a buyout of that care should be priced into the offer. If more treatment is likely, its estimated cost belongs in your settlement number. Medicare set-asides exist for exactly this reason: so Medicare doesn't absorb costs the settlement was meant to cover.
This calculator is for education only and is not legal advice. Every case is different; talk to a licensed attorney in your state before making decisions.