California Workers' Comp Settlement Calculator
Estimate the permanent partial disability (PPD) award for a work injury in California. Enter your wage, the body part, and the impairment rating to see a rough range. This is an estimate, not a prediction or an offer.
A rough estimate, not a prediction or an offer.
Workers' comp has no pain and suffering. This estimates the permanent partial disability award and a typical negotiated settlement range using California's rules. The impairment rating is set by a doctor and often disputed. Talk to a California workers' comp attorney.
Add future medical & time off work (for a fuller settlement estimate)
A lump-sum settlement often buys out future medical; time off work is paid separately as temporary disability.
Typical Settlement Range
$8,700 – $12,325
a negotiated lump sum is usually a discount on the gross value · estimate only
PPD Weekly Rate
$290
Weeks of Benefits
50.0 wks
California calculates PPD with a bespoke statutory table or formula rather than a simple weeks schedule; this estimate uses a representative whole-person basis and is approximate.
A workers’ comp case usually resolves as a negotiated lump-sum settlement that bundles the disability award with future medical care, then discounts it — so the settlement range here is illustrative, not a quote. Impairment ratings are doctor-assigned and often disputed.
A workers' comp claim usually settles as a negotiated lump sum that bundles the permanent disability award with future medical care, then discounts it for present value and disputed issues — which is why the settlement range is below the gross value. The disability award is built from a statutory schedule (weeks × impairment rating × a weekly rate). The rating itself, average-weekly-wage disputes, and offsets all change the real number. This is not legal advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
How California Pays Permanent Partial Disability
California uses a whole-person impairment system (weeks based on your overall impairment) for permanent partial disability. PPD is paid at up to $290 per week, generally about 67% of your average weekly wage. Note that this PPD rate is lower than the state's temporary-disability maximum of $1,764.
California uses a WHOLE-PERSON IMPAIRMENT (WPI) rating system, not a weeks-per-member schedule. A physician assigns a WPI percentage under the AMA Guides (5th ed.); it is run through the 2005 PDRS as modified by SB 863: WPI x 1.4 FEC adjustment factor, then adjusted for occupation and age, to produce a final permanent disability percentage. That final PD% maps (via statutory tables in Labor Code § 4658) to a NUMBER OF WEEKS of PD payments, paid at the PD weekly rate ($290 max for <70%). Higher PD% = disproportionately more weeks (e.g., low ratings ~3-4 weeks per %, high ratings far more). Back/neck and every body part flow through this same WPI process — there is no separate scheduled-member table.
Important: California calculates PPD with a bespoke statutory table or formula rather than a simple weeks schedule; this estimate uses a representative whole-person basis and is approximate.
Source: Cal. Labor Code §§ 4453, 4658, 4658.5, 4660.1; 2005 PDRS as amended by SB 863.
The California Scheduled-Member Basics
No per-member weeks schedule exists in CA. Calculator model: finalPDpercent (from WPI x 1.4 x occupation/age adjust) -> § 4658 weeks table -> weeks x PDrate ($290/wk <70%). This requires implementing the § 4658 PD%-to-weeks lookup, NOT amputation weeks. FLAG: do NOT fabricate per-member week values for California.
California has a 3-day waiting period before wage-replacement benefits begin.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a California workers' comp settlement calculated?
California uses a whole-person impairment system (weeks based on your overall impairment). For a permanent partial disability, the award is generally the scheduled weeks for the injured body part times your impairment percentage times a weekly rate (up to $290 per week). Medical care and wage-replacement during recovery are separate, and most cases resolve by a negotiated settlement.
What is the California workers' comp weekly rate?
Permanent partial disability is paid at about 67% of your average weekly wage, capped at $290 per week (2026). The temporary-disability rate may differ.
Does workers' comp pay for pain and suffering?
No. Workers' compensation does not pay pain and suffering. It pays medical care, a portion of lost wages, and a permanent disability award based on your impairment rating. That trade-off is the core of the workers' comp system.
Is this calculator accurate?
It is a rough estimate of the permanent partial disability award to show how California's schedule works. The impairment rating, average-weekly-wage disputes, and offsets all change the real number, and most claims settle for a negotiated lump sum. Treat any figure here as a ballpark and consult a California workers' comp attorney.
Disclaimer
This estimator is for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice or a prediction of any outcome. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm. It estimates the permanent partial disability award only, not the full claim (medical care and wage-replacement are separate), and workers' comp rates and schedules change; figures are current as of 2026-06-02. The value of a claim can only be assessed by a licensed attorney reviewing your specific facts.