California Workers' Comp Settlement Chart: How Much Is Your Case Worth?
California workers' comp settlements are not set by a fixed chart. They are driven by your permanent disability rating, your wages, whether you need future medical care, and which of two settlement types you choose. Here is how the pieces fit together.
The two ways a California workers' comp case settles
| Stipulated Award (Stip) | Compromise and Release (C&R) | |
|---|---|---|
| What you get | Payments over time based on your PD rating | One lump sum |
| Future medical care | Stays open, insurer keeps paying for treatment | Closed, you get money for it now and handle future care yourself |
| When it fits | You still need ongoing treatment | You want to close the case and control your own care |
How permanent disability money is calculated
Your PD percentage comes from medical reports (often the QME or AME report), adjusted for your age and occupation. Each PD percentage converts to a number of weeks of benefits, and each week pays at a state-set rate based on your earnings, subject to a weekly minimum and maximum.
A simplified illustration of how the PD percentage affects the size of an award:
| PD rating | What it generally means |
|---|---|
| 1% to 14% | Minor permanent limitations, smaller awards paid over a shorter period |
| 15% to 29% | Moderate permanent limitations, mid-range awards |
| 30% to 69% | Serious permanent limitations, larger awards paid over years |
| 70% to 99% | Severe disability, substantial award plus a life pension after the PD payments end |
| 100% | Permanent total disability, payments at the total disability rate for life |
What else adds value to a settlement
- Unpaid temporary disability for time off work that was never paid
- Future medical care, which in a C&R is estimated and paid out in the lump sum
- Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit voucher if you cannot return to your old job
- Penalties where benefits were unreasonably delayed or denied
- Mileage and out-of-pocket medical costs
Why identical injuries settle for different amounts
Two workers with the same injury can settle for very different amounts because of wage differences, apportionment to prior conditions, disputed body parts, quality of the medical-legal reporting, and simply how well the case was prepared. This is why average settlement numbers you find online are a poor guide to your own case.
Get a real number for your case, free
A chart can show you the structure. It cannot rate your disability or price your future medical care. The Law Office of Michael Yap gives injured workers in San Diego County a free, no-obligation case evaluation with a real range based on your medical records and wages. Call (626) 905-0956. Consultations available in English and Spanish. No fee unless we recover.
Related reading: what a QME is and why the exam drives your rating, and our workers' compensation FAQ.
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