Massachusetts Workers' Comp Settlement Calculator
Estimate the permanent partial disability (PPD) award for a work injury in Massachusetts. 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 Massachusetts's rules. The impairment rating is set by a doctor and often disputed. Talk to a Massachusetts 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
$10,800 – $15,300
a negotiated lump sum is usually a discount on the gross value · estimate only
Massachusetts pays this injury by wage loss, so treat this as a wide ballpark.
PPD Weekly Rate
$600
Weeks of Benefits
30.0 wks
Massachusetts pays this injury by wage loss rather than a fixed schedule; this is a rough proxy based on a typical whole-body duration, not a statutory amount.
This state pays specific-injury benefits as a separate lump sum and ongoing disability by wage loss; a weeks-times-wage estimate does not apply cleanly, so treat this as a very rough indication.
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 Massachusetts Pays Permanent Partial Disability
Massachusetts uses a wage-loss system (benefits based on lost earning capacity) for permanent partial disability. PPD is paid at a statutory rate, generally about 60% of your average weekly wage.
Massachusetts uses a WAGE-LOSS model, not a body-as-whole weeks schedule. Total incapacity (§34) = 60% of AWW up to 156 weeks; permanent & total (§34A) = 2/3 of AWW for life; partial (§35) = 60% of wage loss up to 260 weeks. Back/neck/unscheduled injuries are compensated through these wage-loss sections PLUS a §36 lump sum for any permanent loss of bodily function/disfigurement.
Important: This state pays specific-injury benefits as a separate lump sum and ongoing disability by wage loss; a weeks-times-wage estimate does not apply cleanly, so treat this as a very rough indication.
Source: M.G.L. c.152 §36 (specific injuries); §§34, 34A, 35 (incapacity).
The Massachusetts Scheduled-Member Basics
M.G.L. c.152 §36 'specific injuries' are SAWW MULTIPLIERS (weeks x state average weekly wage at injury, NOT the worker's own wage), paid as a one-time lump sum: major arm 43, minor arm 39, both arms 96; major hand 34, minor hand 29, both hands 77; either leg 39, both legs 96; either foot 29, both feet 68; one eye 39, both eyes 96; one ear 29, both ears 77. §36 does NOT separately schedule thumb/individual fingers/great toe (those fall under discretionary bodily-function loss up to 32 wks, 80 wks combined). FLAG: §36 is a fundamentally different mechanism from the calculator's weeks x impairment% x worker-wage model.
Massachusetts has a 5-day waiting period before wage-replacement benefits begin.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a Massachusetts workers' comp settlement calculated?
Massachusetts uses a wage-loss system (benefits based on lost earning capacity). 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 (a statutory rate). Medical care and wage-replacement during recovery are separate, and most cases resolve by a negotiated settlement.
What is the Massachusetts workers' comp weekly rate?
Massachusetts sets the rate by statute rather than a simple wage fraction; see the calculator and the state agency for the current figure.
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 Massachusetts'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 Massachusetts 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.