This workers comp settlement chart by body part shows the typical 2026 payout ranges for each injured body part — back, shoulder, knee, hand, arm, foot, and more — along with the scheduled-loss formula every state uses to calculate them. Workers' compensation does not pay pain and suffering. Instead, most states use a "scheduled loss" system that assigns a fixed number of benefit weeks to each body part, then multiplies that by your permanent impairment rating and your weekly compensation rate. The workers comp settlement chart by body part below makes that formula concrete so you can estimate what a permanent injury to a specific body part may be worth.
If you have a permanent injury from a work accident, the workers comp settlement chart by body part is the single best tool for understanding your potential payout. Unlike a personal injury lawsuit, a workers' comp claim is a no-fault system: you do not have to prove your employer was negligent, but in exchange you cannot recover pain and suffering. Your settlement is driven almost entirely by objective numbers — your impairment rating, your state's scheduled weeks for the injured body part, and your average weekly wage. The chart and worked examples below show you how those numbers combine and what each major body part is typically worth in 2026.
The chart below shows representative 2026 settlement ranges by body part for permanent injuries. Actual dollar amounts depend on your state's scheduled weeks, your impairment rating, and your weekly comp rate. These ranges are planning benchmarks, not guarantees.
| Body Part | Typical Scheduled Weeks (range across states) | 2026 Settlement Range |
|---|---|---|
| Back (unscheduled) | Based on disability/wage loss | $20,000 – $200,000+ |
| Neck (unscheduled) | Based on disability/wage loss | $20,000 – $175,000+ |
| Shoulder | ~200 – 312 weeks (often arm value) | $25,000 – $175,000 |
| Arm | ~200 – 312 weeks | $30,000 – $250,000 |
| Hand | ~150 – 244 weeks | $20,000 – $150,000 |
| Knee / leg | ~175 – 288 weeks | $30,000 – $200,000 |
| Foot | ~125 – 205 weeks | $15,000 – $100,000 |
| Finger (index) | ~35 – 60 weeks | $5,000 – $35,000 |
| Eye (vision loss) | ~120 – 200 weeks | $25,000 – $150,000 |
| Carpal tunnel (wrist/hand) | Hand schedule | $15,000 – $75,000 |
Every figure in the workers comp settlement chart by body part comes from a single formula:
Scheduled Settlement = Scheduled Weeks (for the body part) × Impairment Rating % × Weekly Comp Rate
Example: A hand scheduled at 244 weeks, a 20% impairment rating, and a $600 weekly comp rate yields: 244 × 0.20 × $600 = $29,280.
Understanding the workers comp settlement chart by body part requires knowing the difference between scheduled and unscheduled injuries:
Unscheduled injuries like a back or neck injury can settle higher than any scheduled body part because they often involve ongoing wage-loss benefits and future medical care.
Among scheduled members, the arm and leg carry the most benefit weeks, so a total loss of an arm or leg produces the largest scheduled settlement. But the truly highest workers comp settlements usually come from unscheduled back, neck, and head injuries that cause permanent total disability, plus catastrophic claims involving multiple body parts. A spinal-fusion back injury with permanent work restrictions frequently outvalues even an arm amputation under the schedule.
Back injuries are the most common and among the most valuable. Moderate strains settle for $20,000–$80,000; surgical fusions with permanent restrictions reach $80,000–$200,000+. Because the back is unscheduled, lost earning capacity drives the value.
Rotator-cuff tears requiring surgery commonly settle for $40,000–$175,000 depending on impairment rating and whether you can return to your old job.
Meniscus tears and ACL injuries settle for $30,000–$100,000, more if a replacement is required.
Hand injuries and carpal tunnel (a repetitive-stress claim) settle for $15,000–$75,000 based on the hand schedule and impairment.
Most body-part claims close with a lump-sum settlement, giving you certainty and a single payment but ending future medical and wage benefits for that injury. Some states allow structured settlements paid over time. The right choice depends on your impairment rating, expected future medical costs, and whether you can return to work. Because a lump sum is final, review it with an attorney before signing.
To use the workers comp settlement chart by body part accurately, you need your state's scheduled weeks. While every state differs, the table below shows representative scheduled-week values to illustrate the relative weight each body part carries. Always confirm the exact figures in your state's workers' compensation statute.
| Body Part | Representative Scheduled Weeks | Example: 25% Rating × $600 Rate |
|---|---|---|
| Arm | 312 weeks | $46,800 |
| Leg | 288 weeks | $43,200 |
| Hand | 244 weeks | $36,600 |
| Foot | 205 weeks | $30,750 |
| Eye | 160 weeks | $24,000 |
| Thumb | 75 weeks | $11,250 |
| Index finger | 46 weeks | $6,900 |
Notice how the same 25% impairment rating produces very different dollar amounts depending on the body part's scheduled weeks. This is the core mechanic behind the entire workers comp settlement chart by body part: weeks × rating × rate.
Beyond the scheduled chart, two disability categories drive the largest workers' comp settlements:
A back or neck injury that results in PTD can be worth more than the loss of an entire limb under the schedule, which is why understanding the scheduled-versus-unscheduled distinction is so important when reading any workers comp settlement chart by body part.
Because your settlement is the product of scheduled weeks, your weekly rate, and your impairment rating, the rating is the most-fought number in a workers' comp claim. Insurers send you to an "independent" medical examiner who frequently assigns a lower rating than your treating physician. If you disagree, you generally can: obtain a second opinion or an independent rating from your own physician; request a state-board review or hearing; and, in many states, have a neutral medical examiner break the tie. A few percentage points of impairment can mean thousands of dollars on the chart, so a contested rating is often worth challenging.
If you accept a lump sum that closes future medical care and you are a Medicare beneficiary (or soon will be), federal rules may require a Workers' Compensation Medicare Set-Aside (WCMSA) — money carved out of the settlement to pay future injury-related medical costs before Medicare pays. This protects Medicare and ensures your future care is funded, but it also reduces the cash you receive at closing. Any body-part settlement that closes future medical should account for a set-aside where applicable, which is another reason to have the agreement reviewed before signing.
It is based on each state's scheduled-loss system. Every body part has a fixed number of benefit weeks. Your settlement equals scheduled weeks × impairment-rating % × weekly comp rate (about two-thirds of your average weekly wage).
Among scheduled parts, the arm and leg carry the most weeks. But unscheduled back and neck injuries often settle higher because they involve permanent disability and ongoing wage-loss benefits.
$20,000–$80,000 for moderate cases, rising to $80,000–$200,000+ for surgical cases with permanent restrictions. Back injuries are unscheduled, so value depends on lost earning capacity.
Typically $25,000–$75,000, rising to $75,000–$175,000 with rotator-cuff surgery and permanent impairment. The shoulder is scheduled in most states.
After maximum medical improvement, a doctor assigns a permanent impairment percentage (usually under the AMA Guides). It is multiplied by the scheduled weeks for the body part and by your weekly comp rate.
Yes, significantly. Each state sets its own scheduled weeks per body part and its own comp rate and maximum, so identical injuries produce very different settlements by state.
Usually two-thirds (66.67%) of your average weekly wage before the injury, subject to a state minimum and maximum. It is multiplied by the scheduled weeks and impairment percentage.
A lump sum closes your claim for a one-time payment, giving certainty but forfeiting future medical and wage benefits for that injury. Whether to accept depends on your rating, future needs, and state rules. Consult an attorney first.