2026 California cap: $1,764/wk · File within 1 yr · 3rd-party claims allowed

California Workers Comp Settlement Calculator

Your California claim runs on 66⅔% of your wage up to $1,764/week, with a 1-year filing deadline. Enter your numbers — the caps and rules below are already set to California.

Wages & State

Gross weekly wage

State where injury occurred

Benefit rate 66.67% · max $1,764/wk · file within 1 yr(s)

Injury & Disability

Injury type Disability type

Permanent rating %

Weeks off work

Reached MMI (permanent impairment rated)

Medical & Rehab

Medical bills paid

Est. future medical

Future surgery likely (+$45,000) Vocational rehabilitation (+$15,000)

Job & Attorney

Age

Attorney fee %

Physical labor job Can return to work I have (or will hire) an attorney

Estimated Settlement

MODERATE

Conservative

$25,000

Likely

$27,041

Maximum

$85,000

Average Weekly Wage

$1,200

Weekly Benefit

$800/wk

Within California's weekly maximum of $1,764.

How the settlement is built

California: 1-year SOL; third-party claims allowed; high caps. These are educational estimates, not legal advice — actual benefits depend on your claim, medical evidence, and state rules.

Workers Comp Calculators by State

Benefit rates, weekly caps, and filing deadlines vary sharply by state. Open yours to see the rules that apply to your claim.

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

How Workers Comp Works in California

The weekly check. California pays 66⅔% of your average weekly wage while you are totally disabled — but never more than $1,764 per week in 2026. At $1,200/week that works out to $800/week — below the cap, so every dollar of wage increase raises the check until $1,764 is reached.

The deadline that actually matters. California gives you 1 year from the injury (or from when a reasonable worker should have discovered it) to file a claim with the state board. One-year states are unforgiving — an unreported or delayed injury can bar the whole claim. 1-year SOL; third-party claims allowed; high caps.

Who can be sued. California allows third-party claims: if a contractor, manufacturer, or driver outside your employer caused the injury, you can bring a separate personal-injury case on top of your comp benefits — often the difference in a serious case.

The Four Disability Types

Type	Meaning	Typical weeks
TTD	Temporary Total Disability	26
TPD	Temporary Partial Disability	20
PPD	Permanent Partial Disability	104
PTD	Permanent Total Disability	500

2026 Maximum Weekly Benefits by State

Approximate 2026 temporary-total-disability weekly caps and benefit rates. Open a state to run its calculator with its caps preloaded.

State	Benefit rate	Max weekly	File within
Alabama	66⅔%	$1,150	2 yr
Alaska	80%	$1,368	2 yr
Arizona	66⅔%	$1,136	1 yr
Arkansas	66⅔%	$1,200	2 yr
California	66⅔%	$1,764	1 yr
Colorado	66⅔%	$1,292	2 yr
Connecticut	75%	$1,092	2 yr
Delaware	66⅔%	$1,050	2 yr
District of Columbia	66⅔%	$1,500	1 yr
Florida	66⅔%	$1,460	2 yr
Georgia	66⅔%	$1,000	1 yr
Hawaii	66⅔%	$1,200	2 yr
Idaho	66⅔%	$950	1 yr
Illinois	66⅔%	$1,953	3 yr
Indiana	66⅔%	$1,150	2 yr
Iowa	80%	$1,400	2 yr
Kansas	66⅔%	$1,000	1 yr
Kentucky	66⅔%	$1,100	2 yr
Louisiana	66⅔%	$1,050	1 yr
Maine	80%	$900	2 yr
Maryland	66⅔%	$1,150	2 yr
Massachusetts	60%	$1,922	4 yr
Michigan	80%	$1,300	2 yr
Minnesota	66⅔%	$1,500	3 yr
Mississippi	66⅔%	$900	2 yr
Missouri	66⅔%	$1,100	2 yr
Montana	66⅔%	$1,100	1 yr
Nebraska	66⅔%	$1,100	4 yr
Nevada	66⅔%	$1,400	1 yr
New Hampshire	60%	$1,300	2 yr
New Jersey	70%	$1,100	2 yr
New Mexico	66⅔%	$1,200	1 yr
New York	66⅔%	$1,145	2 yr
North Carolina	66⅔%	$1,200	2 yr
North Dakota	66⅔%	$1,500	3 yr
Ohio	72%	$1,300	1 yr
Oklahoma	70%	$1,100	2 yr
Oregon	66⅔%	$1,500	1 yr
Pennsylvania	66⅔%	$1,400	3 yr
Rhode Island	75%	$1,200	2 yr
South Carolina	66⅔%	$1,000	2 yr
South Dakota	66⅔%	$900	1 yr
Tennessee	66⅔%	$1,100	1 yr
Texas	70%	$1,400	1 yr
Utah	66⅔%	$1,100	1 yr
Vermont	66⅔%	$1,300	2 yr
Virginia	66⅔%	$1,350	2 yr
Washington	60%	$1,800	1 yr
West Virginia	70%	$1,200	6 yr
Wisconsin	66⅔%	$1,300	12 yr
Wyoming	66⅔%	$1,500	4 yr

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does workers comp pay per week in California?

California pays 66⅔% of your average weekly wage while you are totally disabled, up to a maximum of $1,764 per week in 2026. Once your wage passes $2,646/week, the cap binds and a higher wage no longer raises the benefit.

How long do I have to file a workers comp claim in California?

In California, you generally have 1 year from the date of injury (or from when the injury should have been discovered) to file with the state board. One year is short in practice — claim numbers and medical records should be opened as soon as the injury is reported to your employer.

Does California cap workers comp benefits?

Yes. Your weekly TTD benefit in California is the lesser of 66⅔% of your wage and $1,764 per week. Permanent-partial awards are scheduled separately and also run off your wage and impairment rating — the calculator applies both rules.

Can I sue my employer or someone else after a work injury in California?

Workers comp remains your exclusive remedy against the employer, but California allows third-party claims: if someone outside your workplace (a contractor, equipment maker, or driver) caused the injury, you can pursue a separate personal-injury case while keeping your comp benefits.

Available on Google Play

Get the full claim toolkit on your phone

The Workers Comp Calculator app adds a guided multi-step claim builder, saved calculations, a state-by-state benefits guide, and C&P-style symptom checklists — all on your device, free. It runs the same California math offline, with filing-deadline warnings built in.

Download on Google Play