Iowa Workers' Comp Settlement Calculator
Estimate the permanent partial disability (PPD) award for a work injury in Iowa. 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 Iowa's rules. The impairment rating is set by a doctor and often disputed. Talk to a Iowa 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
$24,000 – $34,000
a negotiated lump sum is usually a discount on the gross value · estimate only
Iowa pays this injury by wage loss, so treat this as a wide ballpark.
PPD Weekly Rate
$800
Weeks of Benefits
50.0 wks
Iowa pays back/neck and other unscheduled injuries largely by wage loss, so this whole-body figure is a rough ceiling, not a scheduled amount.
Because this is a wage-loss or bespoke-method state, treat the figure as a wide ballpark, not a scheduled amount.
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 Iowa Pays Permanent Partial Disability
Iowa uses a scheduled-member system (weeks of benefits per body part) for permanent partial disability. PPD is paid at up to $2,162 per week, generally about 80% of your average weekly wage.
Iowa Code 85.34(2)(v): unscheduled / body-as-a-whole injuries (back, neck, shoulder is now scheduled at 400) are paid as a fraction of 500 weeks. BUT the fraction is INDUSTRIAL (loss of earning capacity), not pure functional impairment — UNLESS the worker returns to work at equal/greater pay, in which case it reverts to FUNCTIONAL impairment % x 500. So unscheduled is a hybrid: earning-capacity loss x 500 wks (or functional % x 500 if re-employed at same/greater wage).
Source: Iowa Code 85.34(2).
The Iowa Scheduled-Member Basics
Iowa Code 85.34(2). Arm 250, hand 190, SHOULDER 400 (separately scheduled since 2017), leg 220, foot 150, thumb 60, first/index 35, second 30, third 25, fourth/little 20, great toe 40, other toe 15, loss of eye 140 (other eye lost prior 200), hearing one ear 50, both ears 175 (non-occupational; occupational hearing under ch. 85B), whole body 500. Loss of two members = 500.
Iowa has a 3-day waiting period before wage-replacement benefits begin.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a Iowa workers' comp settlement calculated?
Iowa uses a scheduled-member system (weeks of benefits per body part). 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 $2,162 per week). Medical care and wage-replacement during recovery are separate, and most cases resolve by a negotiated settlement.
What is the Iowa workers' comp weekly rate?
Permanent partial disability is paid at about 80% of your average weekly wage, capped at $2,162 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 Iowa'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 Iowa 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.