Fracture — Lower Extremity Workers Comp Settlements by State
Lower extremity fractures often involve longer recovery and higher risk of permanent impairment than upper extremity fractures.
About Fracture — Lower Extremity Claims
Common causes: Falls, machinery accidents, vehicle incidents
Surgery likelihood: moderate
Typical time off work: 12 weeks
How Severity Is Rated
The impairment rating for Fracture — Lower Extremity typically falls between 5% and 25%, reflecting how much permanent function is lost. This percentage — not the injury's severity in plain terms — is what actually drives the permanent disability portion of a settlement. Learn more about how impairment ratings work and how they connect to permanent partial disability.
Fractures involving a weight-bearing joint (ankle, knee, hip) tend to carry higher impairment ratings than a clean shaft fracture, largely because joint involvement more often leaves lasting effects on gait or stability. Surgical fixation versus a cast-only recovery is the other major dividing line.
Does Surgery Change the Outcome?
Surgery likelihood for Fracture — Lower Extremity is generally considered moderate. When surgery is part of treatment, it typically extends the temporary disability period and often increases the final impairment rating — both of which raise the settlement value.
Where the 1.4x–3.5x Range Comes From
12 weeks assumes a clean shaft fracture; a fracture involving a weight-bearing joint typically takes longer and carries more lasting risk, which is why the 1.4x–3.5x range is built to cover both. As with every injury on this site, this is CompClaimIQ's modeling choice, not a dataset-derived figure.
Typical Claim Timeline
Typical time off work for Fracture — Lower Extremity runs about 12 weeks, though this varies based on your specific job duties and how treatment progresses. Reaching maximum medical improvement (MMI) usually happens near the end of this window, which is when a firmer settlement estimate becomes possible. See what maximum medical improvement (MMI) means for your claim, and how temporary total disability benefits work in the meantime.
Estimated Settlement by State
Sorted highest to lowest estimated range. Click a state for the full calculation and that state's specific rules.
| State | Estimated Range |
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Estimates only, not legal advice. Rankings reflect the top of each state's estimated range and don't account for case-specific facts.