Fracture — Upper Extremity Workers Comp Settlements by State
Fractures to the arm, wrist, or hand typically have clear diagnostic imaging, making these claims less frequently disputed than soft-tissue injuries.
About Fracture — Upper Extremity Claims
Common causes: Falls, machinery accidents, being struck
Surgery likelihood: moderate
Typical time off work: 8 weeks
How Severity Is Rated
For Fracture — Upper Extremity, impairment ratings generally land between 5% and 20%. The exact number for your case depends on your specific medical outcome, not just the diagnosis itself. Learn more about how impairment ratings work and how they connect to permanent partial disability.
A simple fracture that heals with a cast is a different case than a compound or comminuted fracture requiring surgical hardware (plates, pins, or screws). If the fracture involved a joint surface, residual grip strength or range of motion after healing is what typically drives the impairment rating.
Does Surgery Change the Outcome?
Fracture — Upper Extremity claims have a moderate likelihood of requiring surgery. Surgical cases tend to settle higher than non-surgical ones for the same injury type, largely because recovery takes longer and outcomes are documented more thoroughly.
Where the 1.3x–3.0x Range Comes From
8 weeks fits a simple fracture healed with a cast; hardware and joint involvement extend that meaningfully. The 1.3x–3.0x range reflects that spread directly — an estimation framework, not a statistic derived from actual claim outcomes.
Typical Claim Timeline
Most Fracture — Upper Extremity claims see roughly 8 weeks of temporary disability before returning to some form of work. The claim itself often stays open longer than that, since permanent disability evaluation and settlement negotiation happen after MMI, not before. 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.