Connecticut Workers' Compensation Settlement Calculator
Estimate Connecticut workers' comp — Max Weekly Compensation Rate, 28-Day Contest Deadline, Second Injury Fund Closed
Connecticut workers' compensation claims are governed by Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-307 / § 31-309 (WCC Memorandum No. 2025-04) (Max Weekly Compensation Rate): Max $1,716/wk for total disability & death benefits (Oct 1, 2025-Sep 30, 2026); TTD = 75% of after-tax average weekly earnings. Of the 3 landmark Connecticut workers' compensation awards documented on this page, the largest is $13.5M (Industrial workplace accident settlement — snapped cable/equipment strike (Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, attorney William M. Bloss), January 2009; 2009).
🏛️ CONNECTICUT: Max Weekly Compensation Rate | 28-Day Contest Deadline | Second Injury Fund Closed (1995)
Your Injury
Your Estimated Settlement
$6,000 — $6,000
Pain and suffering = $15,000 in medical bills × 0.0 severity multiplier. Your bills are already included in that figure, so they are not added again.
Workers' compensation is a no-fault system: your benefits are not reduced because you were partly or fully responsible for the accident.
Workers' compensation does not pay pain and suffering. Unlike a personal injury claim, it covers medical treatment and a portion of your lost wages only — so no pain-and-suffering amount is included above.
This figure does not include a permanent impairment award. If your injury leaves lasting limitations, most states add a separate payment based on a doctor's impairment rating and a statutory schedule.
If someone other than your employer caused the injury — a subcontractor, a driver, a defective machine — you may also have a separate personal injury claim against that party, and that claim can include pain and suffering.
Keep this estimate — it is gone when you close the tab.
Workers' Compensation Wage Benchmark — New York State claims only
Across New York State claims only, this benchmark is based on 5,586,588 real payments totaling $139.7B from official New York State workers' comp claims.
Average
$25K
Median
$20K
25th %ile
$13K
90th %ile
$44K
Source: New York State Workers' Compensation Board (via data.ny.gov). These figures come from New York State claims only and do not describe benefit levels in other states. Actual payouts may vary based on individual circumstances.
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology
Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor
Connecticut Workers' Compensation Law
Connecticut workers' compensation benefits is governed by Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-307 / § 31-309 (WCC Memorandum No. 2025-04) (Max Weekly Compensation Rate): Max $1,716/wk for total disability & death benefits (Oct 1, 2025-Sep 30, 2026); TTD = 75% of after-tax average weekly earnings. The max is 100% of the statewide average weekly wage of all employees, reset every October 1 by the Labor Commissioner using BLS data. Min = 20% of the max rate ($343.20/wk), but never more than 75% of the worker's own AWW.
28-Day Contest Deadline (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-294c): Written claim due within 1 year of an accidental injury, or 3 years from first symptom of an occupational disease. Death claims: within 2 years of the accident/manifestation, or 1 year from the date of death, whichever is later. Employer/insurer must file a written contest within 28 days of receiving notice — miss it and compensability is conclusively presumed accepted.
Second Injury Fund — Closed to New Claims (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-349 / Public Act 95-277): Fund liability was sharply cut back for injuries occurring on or after July 1, 1995, as confirmed in Cece v. Felix Industries, Inc., 248 Conn. 457 (1999) and Hall v. Gilbert & Bennett Mfg. Co., 241 Conn. 282 (1997). For injuries after that date, second-injury exposure sits entirely with the employer/insurer — no fund reimbursement.
Key Connecticut Workers' Compensation Statutes
Connecticut workers' compensation benefits operates under these critical legal rules:
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-307 / § 31-309 (WCC Memorandum No. 2025-04)
Max Weekly Compensation RateStandard: Max $1,716/wk for total disability & death benefits (Oct 1, 2025-Sep 30, 2026); TTD = 75% of after-tax average weekly earnings
Scope: Max is 100% of the statewide average weekly wage of all employees, reset every October 1 by the Labor Commissioner using BLS data (must be completed by Aug 15 each year). Min = 20% of the max rate ($343.20/wk), but never more than 75% of the worker's own AWW. Enhanced 100%-of-wage rate applies if injury resulted from an employer's unabated safety-code violation.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-294c
28-Day Contest DeadlineStandard: Written claim due within 1 year of an accidental injury, or 3 years from first symptom of an occupational disease
Scope: Death claims: within 2 years of the accident/manifestation, or 1 year from the date of death, whichever is later. Employer/insurer must file a written contest within 28 days of receiving notice — miss it and compensability is conclusively presumed accepted. One of the shortest employer-response windows of any state.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-308(a)-(b) / § 31-308a
PPD Schedule + Partial IncapacityStandard: 75% of the after-tax wage-loss difference, capped at 100% of the state manufacturing AWW ($1,220/wk, 2025-2026), minimum $50/wk
Scope: Scheduled losses paid in weeks (heart/brain 520 wks, master arm 208 wks, master hand 168 wks, one eye 157 wks, one leg 155 wks, one foot 125 wks, etc.); partial incapacity under 308(a) runs up to 520 weeks. § 31-308a additionally allows up to 520 discretionary weeks of extra compensation for workers whose earning capacity stays impaired after the scheduled award runs out.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-284
Exclusive RemedyStandard: Workers' comp is the exclusive remedy against a complying employer — bars separate personal-injury lawsuits for on-the-job injuries
Scope: Narrow exception: the 'substantial certainty' intentional-tort test from Suarez v. Dickmont Plastics Corp., 229 Conn. 99 (1994) and 242 Conn. 255 (1997) — claimant must show the employer actually intended the injury or knew it was substantially certain to occur, not mere negligence or a safety-code violation. Non-complying (uninsured) employers can be sued directly. Third-party claims against non-employer defendants (equipment makers, subcontractors on a shared job site) remain fully available alongside the WC claim.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-349 / Public Act 95-277
Second Injury Fund — Closed to New ClaimsStandard: Fund liability was sharply cut back for injuries occurring on or after July 1, 1995
Scope: Confirmed in Cece v. Felix Industries, Inc., 248 Conn. 457 (1999) and Hall v. Gilbert & Bennett Mfg. Co., 241 Conn. 282 (1997), which describe PA 95-277 as sharply limiting the fund's future liability. Pre-1995 second-injury claims are still administered by the fund; for injuries after that date, second-injury exposure sits entirely with the employer/insurer — no fund reimbursement.
Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-294d
Employee-Selected Treating PhysicianStandard: Employee — not the employer — chooses the treating physician, from a WCC-approved provider list
Scope: Employer may direct only the first emergency treatment; after that, the employee freely picks an ongoing provider from the approved list without prior approval. If the employer fails to promptly provide care, the employee may self-obtain a listed provider at the employer's expense.
Recovery Structure
Medical treatment (typically unlimited, with the employee — not the employer — choosing the treating physician from a WCC-approved list), lost wages at 75% of after-tax average weekly wage subject to the state max, permanent impairment awards via the scheduled PPD system plus up to 520 additional discretionary weeks (§ 31-308a) for diminished earning capacity, vocational rehab, and death/survivor benefits including a $12,000 (CPI-adjusted) burial allowance. No pain and suffering under WC (trade-off of exclusive remedy).
Key Connecticut Doctrines
Exclusive Remedy: Workers' comp is the exclusive remedy against a complying employer — bars separate personal-injury lawsuits for on-the-job injuries, except under the narrow 'substantial certainty' intentional-tort test. Second Injury Fund — Closed to New Claims: fund liability was sharply cut back for injuries occurring on or after July 1, 1995.
Damage Structure + Caps
Max $1,716/wk (total disability & death, 2025-2026) and $1,220/wk (partial disability/PPD, tied to manufacturing AWW); scheduled PPD losses run up to 520 weeks for the highest-value body parts (heart, brain); partial-incapacity payments capped at 520 weeks; PPD minimum $50/wk.
Connecticut Workers' Compensation Verdicts + Averages
Recent Connecticut workplace-injury recoveries, combining workers' comp and, where applicable, parallel third-party claims:
| Amount | Year | Case / Injury |
|---|---|---|
| $665K | 2015 | Christopher Bachteler (age 48) — combined third-party motor-vehicle settlement ($425,000) plus workers' compensation benefits ($240,000) — Cervical spine injury requiring fusion surgery; out of work approximately two years |
| $12.6M | 2010 | Wrongful-death recovery following the Kleen Energy power-plant explosion, Middletown, CT — multi-employer worksite, third-party claim alongside workers' compensation — Fatal injuries from an industrial explosion during power-plant construction |
| $13.5M | 2009 | Industrial workplace accident settlement — snapped cable/equipment strike (Koskoff, Koskoff & Bieder, attorney William M. Bloss), January 2009 — 27-year-old construction worker: total blindness (both eyes), multiple facial and skull fractures, loss of smell, partial loss of taste — struck when an industrial cable snapped |
Connecticut Workers' Compensation FAQs
What is the maximum weekly workers' comp benefit in Connecticut for 2026?
For injuries between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026, Connecticut's maximum weekly compensation rate is $1,716 for total disability and death benefits (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-309), and $1,220/week for partial disability/PPD claims (tied to the state's manufacturing average weekly wage under § 31-308). Both figures reset every October 1 based on new wage data announced by the Labor Commissioner — the rate that applies is the one in effect on your date of injury.
How long do I have to file a workers' comp claim in Connecticut?
You must give written notice of claim within 1 year of the accident (or 3 years from first symptom for an occupational disease) under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-294c. If death results within 2 years of the injury, dependents have until the later of that 2-year window or 1 year after the date of death. Once you file, your employer/insurer has only 28 days to contest — if they miss that window, your claim is conclusively presumed accepted.
Can I sue my employer in Connecticut in addition to workers' comp?
Almost never. Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-284 makes workers' comp your exclusive remedy against a complying employer. The narrow exception is Connecticut's 'substantial certainty' intentional-tort standard from Suarez v. Dickmont Plastics Corp. — you'd have to prove your employer actually intended to injure you or knew injury was substantially certain, not just that they were careless or violated a safety rule. Third-party claims against a different party (equipment maker, subcontractor, property owner) remain fully available and often run alongside your WC claim.
Can I pick my own doctor for a Connecticut workers' comp injury?
Yes — unlike many states, Connecticut lets you choose your treating physician from the Workers' Compensation Commission's approved provider list (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 31-294d), not your employer. Your employer may only direct your very first emergency treatment; after that, you pick your own provider from the approved list without needing prior approval.
What is a 'Full and Final Stipulation' in Connecticut workers' comp?
It's Connecticut's version of a lump-sum settlement — you and the employer/insurer agree to a one-time payment that closes out some or all of your claim (often including future medical), and a workers' comp commissioner must approve it as fair before it's binding. Once approved, it's very difficult to reopen. Because CT stipulation amounts aren't required to be published, values vary widely — get an independent medical evaluation and an attorney's review (contingency fees are regulated by statute) before signing.
Pending Connecticut Workers' Compensation Issues
Active legal developments (as of April 2026):
- The $1,716/wk (total disability) and $1,220/wk (PPD/manufacturing) maximums apply only Oct 1, 2025-Sep 30, 2026 — Connecticut resets both rates every October 1; check the current WCC memorandum before relying on these figures after that date.
- Second Injury Fund closure (PA 95-277, effective July 1, 1995) is confirmed via Connecticut Supreme Court case law (Cece v. Felix Industries; Hall v. Gilbert & Bennett) rather than directly from the § 31-349 statutory text itself, which does not state the closure date inline.
- Only 2 dollar- and date-verified landmark settlements could be confirmed as of August 2026. Connecticut's 'Full and Final' voluntary-agreement stipulations are approved by a WC commissioner but are not required to be published with dollar amounts, unlike some states' public C&R filings — this limits how many public examples exist.
- The exact settlement/payout date for the $12,600,000 Kleen Energy wrongful-death recovery has not been independently confirmed from the law firm's site; only the underlying explosion date (February 7, 2010, Middletown, CT) is publicly documented, and 2010 is used here with that caveat.
- The 'substantial certainty' intentional-tort exception to exclusive remedy (Suarez v. Dickmont Plastics Corp.) is judge-made case law, not a codified statutory exception — outcomes are highly fact-specific and successful claims are rare.
- A widely syndicated headline ('Carter Mario Attorneys Secure $3 Million Settlement in Workers' Comp Case,' Law.com, Mar 27, 2023) could not be corroborated on the firm's own current case-results page, so that figure was excluded rather than guessed at.
Informational only — consult a licensed attorney for case-specific advice.
Primary Sources
- codes.findlaw.com/ct/title-31-labor/ct-gen-st-sect-31-307
- codes.findlaw.com/ct/title-31-labor/ct-gen-st-sect-31-309
- codes.findlaw.com/ct/title-31-labor/ct-gen-st-sect-31-284
- codes.findlaw.com/ct/title-31-labor/ct-gen-st-sect-31-294c
- codes.findlaw.com/ct/title-31-labor/ct-gen-st-sect-31-308
- codes.findlaw.com/ct/title-31-labor/ct-gen-st-sect-31-308a
- codes.findlaw.com/ct/title-31-labor/ct-gen-st-sect-31-306
- codes.findlaw.com/ct/title-31-labor/ct-gen-st-sect-31-294d
- codes.findlaw.com/ct/title-31-labor/ct-gen-st-sect-31-349
- portal.ct.gov/wcc/workers-compensation-news/commission-memorandums/2025/memorandum-no-2025-04
- www.courtlistener.com/opinion/7895720/suarez-v-dickmont-plastics-corp
- www.cicchiellolaw.com/case-results
- riscassidavis.com/case-results
Other State Workers' Compensation Calculators
Washington
L&I state fund + self-insure, PPD dollar-amount schedule, $2,303.31/wk equiv
California
SIBTF reform 2026, $1,764/wk max, QME + SB 636
New York
$1,281.50/wk max, LWEC non-schedule PPD, 2025 Protection in Workplace Act
Texas
Non-subscriber option, $1,271/wk, IBR
Illinois
Lifetime uncapped medical, $2,045.63/wk (2026)
Florida
$1,358/wk, 104-week TTD cap, narrow catastrophic definition
Michigan
PIWEC phantom wages, 80% after-tax AWW, $1,201/wk max 2026
New Jersey
Second Injury Fund, 400/450-wk caps, $1,199/wk max 2026
Ohio
BWC monopoly fund, Industrial Commission PTD, $1,281/wk
Pennsylvania
Act 111 (2017), 500-wk partial cap, $1,394/wk max 2026
Alabama
Max $1,219/wk TTD, but non-scheduled PPD (back injuries) capped at just $220/wk
Arizona
$6,131/mo max AMW (66⅔% TTD/PTD), PPD paid in months not weeks
Colorado
Competitive state fund, $1,464/wk max (91% SAWW), 4-day notice deadline
Georgia
Exclusive remedy, $800/wk TTD cap, catastrophic designation unlocks lifetime benefits
Iowa
80% spendable earnings, $2,431/wk max, active Second Injury Fund
Indiana
$877/wk max (66⅔% AWW), 8-day wait, Second Injury Fund
Kentucky
Impairment-factor PPD formula, $1,277.99/wk max, coal black-lung claims
Louisiana
Second Injury Fund, SEB to 520wks, $903/wk max (Sept 2026)
Massachusetts
Opt-out exclusive remedy, $1,922/wk max rate, PPD paid in statewide-wage multiples
Maryland
Exclusive remedy, $1,537/wk max (2026), Uninsured Employers' Fund safety net
Minnesota
Private-carrier market, $1,536.84/wk max, PTSD presumption for first responders
Missouri
Strict-construction state, TTD/PTD capped 105% SAWW, PPD capped 55% SAWW
North Carolina
500-week TTD/PPD cap, $1,446/wk max (2026), 66 2/3% AWW
Oklahoma
TTD/PTD capped at $1,128.66/wk, opt-out struck down, Multiple Injury Trust Fund
Oregon
3-way market (SAIF+private+self-insure), $1,943/wk max, CDA keeps medical open
South Carolina
Exclusive remedy, $1,189.94/wk max (2026), 500-wk TTD cap, lifetime for TBI/spinal
Tennessee
$1,488.30/wk max (FY26-27), 15-day notice, PPD = rating × 450 wks, no jury trials
Virginia
500-week comp cap (PTD lifetime), $1,507/wk max, 66 2/3% AWW
Wisconsin
Dual-track cap: $1,375/wk TTD (110% SAWW) vs just $454/wk PPD; 6/12-yr SOL
Alaska
PPI = $273K × WPI%, TTD/PTD 80% of wage, max $1,627/wk (2026)
Arkansas
Max $953/wk (85% SAWW), odd-lot doctrine barred, 450-wk wage-loss cap
Washington DC
Max $1,852.07/wk (Jan 2025), 30-day notice, LHWCA-style weeks-based PPD schedule
Delaware
Max $962.72/wk (2026), 90-day notice, Medicare-based HCPS fee caps
Hawaii
66⅔% AWW, $1,240/wk max (2026), Special Compensation Fund after 104wks
Idaho
Max $1,021.50/wk (90% ASW), 500-week whole man, ISIF second-injury fund
Kansas
$905/wk max TTD/PTD, 415-wk PPD cap, SB 430 (2024) raised PTD cap $155K→$400K
Maine
Max $1,561/wk (125% of SAWW), 7-day wait, no statutory minimum, exclusive remedy
Mississippi
Max $654.63/wk, 5-day wait, Second Injury Trust Fund
Montana
$1,192/wk max, 400-week PPD formula, 60-mo medical closure
North Dakota
Monopolistic state fund (WSI), $1,614/wk max, no private insurance or self-insurance
Nebraska
Max $1,166/wk (2026), Espinoza multi-member LOEC rule, exclusive remedy
New Hampshire
$2,309/wk cap (150% SAWW); Second Injury Fund; 3-yr claim filing deadline
New Mexico
100% SAWW cap, $1,146.66/wk max, $36/wk min since 1975
Nevada
Privatized market, monthly PPD annuity (0.6%/1% WPI), max $5,691.79/mo (FY27)
Rhode Island
62% AWW formula, $1,622/wk max, dedicated Workers' Compensation Court
South Dakota
No insurance mandate • $1,152/wk max (2026) • Subsequent Injury Fund repealed 1999
Utah
Max $1,376/wk (2026), 6-yr/12-yr filing window, narrow intentional-injury exception
Vermont
Max $1,914/wk (2026), 6-mo. filing deadline, whole-person PPD schedule
West Virginia
Deliberate-intent exception, $1,150.91/wk max, no punitive damages, privatized market
Wyoming
Monopolistic state fund, no private insurance; PTD capped at 80 months, not lifetime
Main Workers' Comp Calculator
Nationwide WC benefits overview
All Workers' Compensation Calculators by State
Other Calculators for Connecticut
Each Connecticut calculator reflects state-specific laws (caps, statutes of limitations, comparative-negligence rules) and uses Connecticut verdict data where available.