Florida caps temporary total disability at 104 weeks and uses a tiered impairment income benefit system instead of a traditional body-part schedule. This calculator estimates your TTD and impairment benefits under Florida Statute Chapter 440, including the one-time doctor change right, single-IME-per-accident rule, and catastrophic injury presumptions.
Operated by Mustafa Bilgic, non-attorney individual. Benefit rules below come from Florida Statutes Chapter 440 via the Florida Senate official publisher (flsenate.gov). The maximum weekly compensation rate equals 100% of the statewide AWW and changes annually. Verify at myfloridacfo.com/division/wc.
| Item | Florida rule | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| TTD rate | 66 2/3% of AWW | F.S. 440.15(2) |
| Max weekly rate | 100% of statewide AWW (updates annually; verify at FL DWC) | F.S. 440.12(2) |
| TTD duration cap | 104 weeks | F.S. 440.15(2) |
| Waiting period | 7 days | F.S. 440.12(1) |
| Retroactive threshold | 21 days | F.S. 440.12(1) |
| Impairment 1-10% | 2 weeks per percentage point at 75% of TTD rate | F.S. 440.15(3) |
| Impairment 11-15% | 3 weeks per percentage point | F.S. 440.15(3) |
| Impairment 16-20% | 4 weeks per percentage point | F.S. 440.15(3) |
| Impairment 21%+ | 6 weeks per percentage point | F.S. 440.15(3) |
| Statute of limitations | 2 years from knowledge of work-relatedness | F.S. 440.19 |
| Doctor choice | One-time change; otherwise carrier-directed | F.S. 440.13(2)(f) |
| IME limit | One per accident per party | F.S. 440.13(5) |
| Settlement types | Washout (lump sum) or Stipulation | F.S. 440.20(11) |
Florida's 104-week cap on temporary total disability is one of the strictest in the country. Under Section 440.15(2), TTD benefits stop after 104 weeks regardless of whether the worker has recovered, unless the injury qualifies as catastrophic under Section 440.15(1). There is no extension mechanism for non-catastrophic injuries. If a worker reaches maximum medical improvement (MMI) before 104 weeks, TTD converts to temporary partial disability or stops entirely, depending on work status.
This cliff creates pressure to reach MMI and obtain an impairment rating before the 104-week limit expires. Workers who undergo multiple surgeries or have complications that delay healing may exhaust their TTD before reaching MMI, leaving a gap in income replacement that a settlement must address.
After reaching MMI, the treating physician assigns a permanent impairment rating using the Florida Edition of the AMA Guides. The impairment income benefit (IIB) is calculated at 75% of the worker's TTD rate and paid for weeks determined by the impairment tier:
| Impairment % | Weeks per point | Hypothetical: 12% impairment at $700/wk TTD |
|---|---|---|
| 1% through 10% | 2 weeks/point | 10 points x 2 = 20 weeks |
| 11% through 15% | 3 weeks/point | 2 points x 3 = 6 weeks |
| 16% through 20% | 4 weeks/point | -- |
| 21% and above | 6 weeks/point | -- |
| Total for 12% | 26 weeks at $525/wk = $13,650 | |
The tiered system means that each additional percentage point above 10% is worth progressively more weeks. A 21% impairment is worth substantially more than a 20% impairment because it crosses into the 6-week-per-point tier. This is why the exact impairment rating assigned by the physician is a central dispute point in Florida claims.
Uses F.S. 440 tiered impairment formula. Educational only.
Florida gives the insurance carrier broad control over medical providers. The carrier selects the initial treating physician, and the worker's only statutory option is a single one-time change of physician per accident under Section 440.13(2)(f). The carrier must authorize the replacement within 5 business days. After that one change, the carrier controls all subsequent referrals and specialist selections. This makes Florida one of the more restrictive states for injured worker medical autonomy.
Florida restricts independent medical examinations to one per accident per party under Section 440.13(5). This is not one per specialty but one total. The rule prevents the insurer from sending a claimant to multiple specialists for adversarial examinations on different body systems. If the employee prevails on an issue supported by the IME findings, the employer or carrier pays the examination costs.
Florida presumes permanent total disability for five categories of catastrophic injury: spinal cord injury resulting in paralysis, amputation of an arm, hand, foot, or leg, severe brain or closed-head injury as verified by testing, second or third degree burns covering 25% or more of the body or the face, and total or industrial blindness. These workers receive TTD at 80% of AWW for up to 6 months initially, then the standard 66 2/3% rate, and are not subject to the 104-week cap.
Florida limits temporary total disability benefits to 104 weeks under Section 440.15. After 104 weeks, TTD benefits stop unless the worker qualifies for permanent total disability. This is one of the strictest TTD caps in the United States.
After reaching maximum medical improvement, the physician assigns an impairment rating using Florida-adopted AMA guidelines. The impairment income benefit (IIB) equals 75% of your TTD rate, paid for a number of weeks determined by tier: 1-10% impairment receives 2 weeks per percentage point, 11-15% receives 3 weeks per point, 16-20% receives 4 weeks per point, and 21% or above receives 6 weeks per point.
Yes, but only once. Under Section 440.13, an injured worker has the right to one change of physician during the course of treatment for any one accident. The carrier must authorize an alternative physician within 5 business days of the written request. After that one change, the carrier controls medical provider selection.
Under Section 440.13, each party is entitled to only one independent medical examination per accident, not one per medical specialty. The requesting party pays the examination costs. If the employee prevails based on the IME findings, the employer or carrier reimburses the cost.
Florida has a 7-day waiting period under Section 440.12. No indemnity compensation is paid for the first 7 days of disability. If the disability lasts more than 21 days, benefits are paid retroactively from the first day.
Under Section 440.19, a petition for benefits must be filed within 2 years after the date the employee knew or should have known that the injury arose out of work. Payment of indemnity benefits or medical treatment tolls the deadline by one year from the last payment date.
Florida presumes permanent total disability for catastrophic injuries including spinal cord paralysis, amputation, severe brain injury, second and third degree burns covering 25% or more of the body, and total blindness. PTD benefits generally continue until age 75 unless the worker cannot qualify for Social Security.
No. This page is operated by Mustafa Bilgic, a non-attorney individual operator. It provides educational research only. Consult a licensed Florida workers compensation attorney for claim-specific advice.