Answers to the questions people ask most before they ever get to a specific state or injury page — how the estimates work, what they can and can't tell you, and where the numbers actually come from.
25 questions across 8 categories — grown from the 12 we started with.
Every estimate starts with your state's actual wage-replacement formula — the percentage of your average weekly wage the law requires, up to that state's weekly maximum. From there, we apply typical settlement multipliers for your specific injury type, based on how claims of that kind usually resolve. The result is a range, not a single number, because your exact outcome depends on case-specific facts no calculator can know in advance. See the full calculation methodology
Workers comp isn't one national system — it's 51 different ones. The same back injury pays a different amount in California than it does in Georgia, because every state sets its own wage-replacement rate, weekly maximum, and rules for calculating permanent impairment. A calculator that ignores that isn't giving you a real number. Browse all 50 states
No. Every estimate on this site is informational only, built from published state benefit formulas and typical settlement patterns — not a prediction of what your specific claim is worth. Your actual settlement depends on facts a calculator can't see: your medical outcome, whether surgery was needed, how your employer's insurer handles the claim, and whether you have legal representation.
The state benefit rates — wage-replacement percentage, weekly caps, waiting periods, filing deadlines — come directly from official state agencies, so those figures are accurate as published. The settlement ranges layered on top of them are estimates based on typical case patterns for that injury type, which is why we show a range instead of a single figure.
No. Every estimate on this site is free, with no account and no email required to see your range.
We currently cover all 50 states plus DC, across 20 common workplace injury types. If you don't see your exact situation, the closest matching injury category will still give you a useful starting range — the underlying state benefit formula is what drives most of the number. Browse all 50 states
Use it as a starting reference point, not a number to quote directly to an adjuster. Insurers calculate settlement offers using internal case data you don't have access to, and a workers comp attorney can tell you where your specific case actually falls within — or outside — the typical range.
Workers comp has its own vocabulary — MMI, PPD, AWW, and dozens of others — that most people encounter for the first time during a claim. We keep a plain-language glossary covering the terms you're most likely to run into. Browse the glossary
Wage-replacement rates, weekly maximums, waiting periods, and filing deadlines are sourced directly from each state's workers compensation agency — not industry averages or third-party aggregators. Every state page links to the specific agency it was sourced from. Read our editorial and sourcing policy
State benefit rates change periodically as agencies adjust wage-replacement caps and formulas. Pages are reviewed and updated on a rolling basis, and each page shows the date it was last reviewed.
CompClaimIQ is published by IGNE Publishing, an independent publisher of research and resource sites. Content is researched against primary state sources rather than rewritten from other calculators or aggregator sites. Learn more about IGNE Publishing
Most workers comp attorneys work on contingency, so there's usually no upfront cost to get a case reviewed — but the fee itself varies more than most people expect. It's capped by state law, and that cap ranges from around 9% in some states up to 33% in others, with a few states using a flat dollar amount or hourly rate instead of a percentage at all. For anything beyond a straightforward, low-cost claim, a free case review is generally worth the conversation regardless of the exact fee. Get a free case review
Report the injury to your employer in writing as soon as possible — most states have short deadlines for this — get medical treatment and keep records of every visit, and avoid giving a recorded statement to the insurance company before you understand your rights. Filing deadlines and required steps vary by state. Find your state's filing deadline
A denial isn't the end of the process — every state has a formal appeal process, though the deadlines to use it are often short, sometimes as little as 20-30 days. The most common denial reasons (missed deadlines, disputed compensability, pre-existing conditions) all have real counter-arguments. Read the full denial and appeal guide
No — retaliating against you specifically for filing a claim is illegal in every state. But being on workers comp doesn't create blanket job protection either; an employer can still let you go for a legitimate, unrelated reason. Timing and pattern matter a lot in telling the two apart. Read the full retaliation guide
Most claims never reach a formal hearing — it usually only happens when a significant dispute couldn't be resolved through earlier, less formal steps. An administrative law judge presides, not a jury, and the process is generally less formal than a courtroom trial. Read the full hearing guide
For most states, the range comes from typical case-severity variation. Washington is the one exception with a second reason: it doesn't use a single fixed wage-replacement rate at all — your percentage depends on marital and dependent status, ranging from 60% to 75%. Two workers with identical injuries and wages can get meaningfully different benefits there based on that alone. See Washington's settlement estimator
Five states (North Dakota, Ohio, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming) require employers to buy workers comp coverage directly from the state fund rather than a private insurer. If you're in one of these states, your claim is administered by the state itself, not a private insurance company — which can affect timelines and who you're actually dealing with. Find your state's guide
Yes — Texas is the only state where employers can legally opt out of workers comp entirely, known as being a "non-subscriber." If your employer is a non-subscriber, your claim doesn't go through the standard workers comp system at all; you'd need to pursue a separate personal injury claim instead, which works very differently. Read the Texas-specific guide
Indirectly, yes — different occupations have different common injury patterns, and some carry industry-specific rules (construction's statutory-employer rules, first responders' PTSD presumption laws in some states). The underlying state benefit formula is what drives most of the number either way. Browse workers comp by occupation
No, and this is worth knowing before you rely on anything else on this site. Federal employees are covered under FECA (the Federal Employees' Compensation Act), an entirely separate system administered by the U.S. Department of Labor — not any state agency. None of the state-by-state rates, deadlines, or rules here apply to a FECA claim. Read the FECA-specific guide
It depends almost entirely on employee classification, which is genuinely unresolved and actively disputed in many states. Most platforms classify drivers as independent contractors, which would exclude coverage under the general rule — but the actual working relationship, not just the contract label, is often what actually decides it. Read the gig worker coverage guide
If you request a case review through this site, we may connect you with an independent, licensed attorney in your state. We're not a law firm, don't employ attorneys, and don't receive a fee based on the outcome of your case. Display advertising is a secondary source of revenue. Neither influences which state data we publish or how we calculate an estimate. Read the full disclaimer
Your information is used to connect you with an independent attorney and isn't shared with unrelated third parties for marketing purposes. We don't sell personal information. Read the full privacy policy
No. If you submit a case review request, that information goes to the attorney or legal network handling that specific request — that's the purpose you submitted it for — and nowhere else. Read the full privacy policy
Most workers comp attorneys offer a free case review and work on contingency — no upfront cost to find out where you actually stand.
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