Hawaii Workers' Compensation Settlement Calculator
Estimate Hawaii workers' comp — TTD/PTD Weekly Benefit Rate, PPD — Weeks-Based Schedule, Special Compensation Fund
Hawaii workers' compensation claims are governed by HRS § 386-31 (TTD/PTD Weekly Benefit Rate): 66⅔% of average weekly wage; 2026 max $1,240.00/wk (max wage base $1,859.91/wk), statutory min = greater of $38 or 25% of max (≈$310/wk in 2026). Of the 3 landmark Hawaii workers' compensation awards documented on this page, the largest is $6.7M (Ekins-Coward v. University of Hawai'i — settlement after nearly a decade of litigation over a March 2016 hydrogen-gas explosion in a UH Mānoa chemistry lab; UH initially argued the researcher was a WC-covered employee, but the case resolved as a third-party/tort settlement.; 2025).
🌺 HAWAII: TTD/PTD Weekly Benefit Rate | PPD — Weeks-Based Schedule | Special Compensation Fund
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
Hawaii Workers' Compensation Law
Hawaii workers' compensation benefits is governed by HRS § 386-31 (TTD/PTD Weekly Benefit Rate): 66⅔% of average weekly wage; 2026 max $1,240.00/wk (max wage base $1,859.91/wk), statutory min = greater of $38 or 25% of max (≈$310/wk in 2026). There's a 3-calendar-day waiting period, and first payment is due within 10 days of employer notice. PTD is automatic for loss of both eyes, both feet, both hands, one hand + one foot, complete spinal paralysis, or incurable insanity from skull injury.
PPD — Weeks-Based Schedule (HRS § 386-32): PPD = weekly benefit rate (66⅔% of AWW, capped at the max) × scheduled weeks for the injured body part. Examples: thumb 75 wks, hand 244, arm 312, foot 205, leg 288, eye enucleation 160 (vision loss 140), hearing loss both ears 200. Unscheduled injuries are valued by comparison to a listed disability or via whole-person impairment percentage.
Special Compensation Fund (HRS § 386-33 / § 386-56): For a new injury that combines with a prior permanent partial disability to cause greater PPD, PTD, or death, the employer pays only the first 104 weeks of the resulting benefit — the special compensation fund pays the balance. No fund liability if the pre-existing disability was minor (under 32 weeks of compensation) — then the employer pays the full award alone.
Key Hawaii Workers' Compensation Statutes
Hawaii workers' compensation benefits operates under these critical legal rules:
HRS § 386-31
TTD/PTD Weekly Benefit RateStandard: 66⅔% of average weekly wage; 2026 max $1,240.00/wk (max wage base $1,859.91/wk), statutory min = greater of $38 or 25% of max (≈$310/wk in 2026)
Scope: 3-calendar-day waiting period (not compensated unless disability continues through day 7-equivalent). First payment due within 10 days of employer notice. PTD is automatic for loss of both eyes, both feet, both hands, one hand + one foot, complete spinal paralysis, or incurable insanity from skull injury. Employer must give 2 weeks' written notice before terminating TTD.
HRS § 386-32
PPD — Weeks-Based ScheduleStandard: PPD = weekly benefit rate (66⅔% of AWW, capped at the max) × scheduled weeks for the injured body part
Scope: Examples: thumb 75 wks, index finger 46, middle finger 30, ring finger 25, little finger 15, hand 244, arm 312, great toe 38, foot 205, leg 288, eye enucleation 160 (vision loss 140), hearing loss both ears 200 (one ear 52). Unscheduled injuries valued by comparison to a listed disability or via whole-person impairment percentage.
HRS § 386-5
Exclusive RemedyStandard: Workers' comp excludes all other employer liability for a work injury
Scope: Only statutory carve-out: sexual harassment or sexual assault, and any related infliction of emotional distress or invasion of privacy — those may proceed as a separate civil action in addition to a WC claim. No general 'intentional tort' exception exists.
HRS § 386-82 (notice: § 386-81)
Claim Filing Deadline + NoticeStandard: Written WC claim barred unless filed within 2 years after the injury's compensable nature becomes manifest, and never later than 5 years after the accident
Scope: Separately, § 386-81 requires notice of injury to the employer only 'as soon as practicable' — no fixed day count. Failure to notify does not bar a claim if the employer/supervisor already knew, already furnished medical care, or was not prejudiced by the delay. Occupational-disease claims (asbestos, lead, radiation) run 2 years from when the worker knew the disease was employment-caused.
HRS § 386-33 (default relief: § 386-56)
Special Compensation FundStandard: For a new injury combining with a prior permanent partial disability to cause greater PPD, PTD, or death, the employer pays only the first 104 weeks of the resulting benefit — the special compensation fund pays the balance
Scope: Hawaii does not use the term 'Second Injury Fund' — it is the 'special compensation fund,' funded by assessments on insurers/self-insured employers. No fund liability if the pre-existing disability was minor (worth under 32 weeks of compensation); then the employer pays the full award alone. The fund also pays injured workers directly if an employer defaults on a compensation order (§ 386-56).
HRS § 386-8
Third-Party Claims PreservedStandard: An injured worker may collect WC benefits AND sue a non-employer third party whose negligence caused the injury
Scope: Employer/insurer gets a first lien on any third-party recovery for benefits already paid (reduced pro-rata for the employer's share of attorney's fees/costs). If the employee has not sued within 9 months of the injury, the employer may bring the third-party action directly. No third-party settlement is valid without the written consent of both employer and employee.
Recovery Structure
Medical treatment (unlimited, no dollar cap), lost wages at 66⅔% of average weekly wage (AWW) subject to the state max, permanent impairment awards via the scheduled-weeks system (or whole-person % for unscheduled injuries), vocational rehabilitation, and death/survivor benefits. No pain-and-suffering recovery under WC (trade-off of exclusive remedy) — except the narrow sexual-harassment/assault carve-out.
Key Hawaii Doctrines
Third-Party Claims Preserved: An injured worker may collect WC benefits AND sue a non-employer third party whose negligence caused the injury; the employer/insurer gets a first lien on any recovery for benefits already paid. Special Compensation Fund: Shifts subsequent-injury exposure off individual employers after 104 weeks, encouraging the hiring of previously-injured workers.
Damage Structure + Caps
Full medical benefits, 66⅔% wage replacement capped at the 2026 max of $1,240.00/wk, scheduled PPD awards (weeks × weekly rate), PTD lifetime benefits, and death benefits to dependents.
Hawaii Workers' Compensation Verdicts + Averages
Recent Hawaii workers' compensation benefits outcomes:
| Amount | Year | Case / Injury |
|---|---|---|
| $6.7M | 2025 | Ekins-Coward v. University of Hawai'i — settlement after nearly a decade of litigation over a March 2016 hydrogen-gas explosion in a UH Mānoa chemistry lab; UH initially argued the researcher was a WC-covered employee, but the case resolved as a third-party/tort settlement. — Partial traumatic amputation/loss of right arm |
| $6.6M | 2024 | Third-party negligence settlement (plaintiff's firm: Miyashita & O'Steen) — Honolulu-area construction/roofing worker fell and fractured his lumbar spine; sued the property owner/general contractor over alleged unsafe work practices and lack of safety training/equipment, separate from his workers' comp claim. — Severe lumbar spinal fracture; permanent wheelchair dependence |
| $218K | 2025 | Noborikawa v. Host International, Inc. (Haw. Sup. Ct. SCWC-20-0000172, decided Sept. 15, 2025) — 2007 bilateral knee injury from lifting a beer keg. The Director's original WC order paid $180,714.48 TTD + $22,997.50 TPD + $13,668.48 PPD (7% right knee) + $125 disfigurement (~$217,505 total); the Hawaii Supreme Court later held LIRAB undervalued the impairment and raised the rating to 20% right knee / 5% left knee. — Bilateral knee injury (meniscus/joint damage) from lifting |
Hawaii Workers' Compensation FAQs
What is the maximum weekly workers' comp benefit in Hawaii for 2026?
The Hawaii 2026 maximum weekly benefit is $1,240.00/week, based on a maximum weekly wage base of $1,859.91 (HRS § 386-31; DLIR annual rate notice). Your benefit = 66⅔% of your average weekly wage (AWW), up to this cap. DLIR recalculates these rates every year, typically applied to injuries occurring during that calendar year.
How long do I have to report my Hawaii work injury?
Hawaii's notice rule (HRS § 386-81) has no fixed day count — notice must be given 'as soon as practicable' after the injury. Even so, failure to give notice does NOT bar your claim if your employer/supervisor already knew about the injury, the employer already furnished medical treatment, or the employer wasn't prejudiced by the delay. Still, report in writing and keep a copy as soon as you can — waiting invites disputes.
Can I sue my employer in Hawaii in addition to workers' comp?
Generally NO — workers' comp is Hawaii's 'exclusive remedy' (HRS § 386-5), meaning WC is your only claim against your employer for a work injury. The one statutory exception: sexual harassment or sexual assault (and related emotional-distress/privacy claims) may be pursued as a separate civil action. Third-party claims against a non-employer (equipment maker, property owner, subcontractor) remain available and commonly run alongside a WC claim (HRS § 386-8).
What is the deadline to file a Hawaii workers' comp claim?
A written claim must reach the Director of Labor and Industrial Relations within 2 years after the injury's compensable nature becomes reasonably apparent, and never later than 5 years after the accident (HRS § 386-82). Occupational-disease claims (asbestos, lead, radiation, etc.) run 2 years from when you knew the disease was work-caused. Missing these windows can permanently bar your claim, so file early even if your condition is still evolving.
Should I accept the first PPD settlement offer in Hawaii?
Not without an independent review. Hawaii's own Supreme Court found in Noborikawa v. Host International (2025) that a worker's initial 7%/0% permanent-impairment rating undervalued her real disability — the court raised it to 20%/5% years later on appeal. Before accepting an offer, get an independent medical evaluation of your whole-person impairment and consult a workers' comp attorney; most work on contingency with fees regulated by Hawaii statute.
Pending Hawaii Workers' Compensation Issues
Active legal developments (as of April 2026):
- DLIR's official 2026 rate notice (published Dec. 10, 2025) states a max weekly benefit of $1,240.00 (max wage base $1,859.91/wk) but does not separately publish a 2026 minimum weekly rate; the ≈$310/wk minimum used here is calculated from the HRS § 386-31 formula (25% of max) rather than independently confirmed by a DLIR guideline sheet.
- HRS § 386-81 sets no fixed day-count for notice of injury ('as soon as practicable') — unlike most states' 30/60/90-day rules — so a precise safe-harbor day count is not codified; case-by-case waiver factors control instead.
- Noborikawa v. Host International (Haw. Sup. Ct., Sept. 2025) raised the PPD rating to 20%/5%, but the recalculated final dollar payout at that new rating was not stated in the available opinion text — only the original $217,505 total under the 7%/0% rating is independently confirmed.
- The $6.6M (2024) and $6.7M (2025) landmark settlements are third-party tort settlements running alongside, not in place of, workers' comp — the exact parallel WC benefit amounts paid in either underlying claim were not publicly disclosed.
Informational only — consult a licensed attorney for case-specific advice.
Primary Sources
- law.justia.com/codes/hawaii/title-21/chapter-386
- law.justia.com/codes/hawaii/title-21/chapter-386/section-386-31
- law.justia.com/codes/hawaii/title-21/chapter-386/section-386-32
- law.justia.com/codes/hawaii/title-21/chapter-386/section-386-5
- law.justia.com/codes/hawaii/title-21/chapter-386/section-386-81
- law.justia.com/codes/hawaii/title-21/chapter-386/section-386-82
- law.justia.com/codes/hawaii/title-21/chapter-386/section-386-33
- law.justia.com/codes/hawaii/title-21/chapter-386/section-386-8
- labor.hawaii.gov/dcd/files/2025/12/2026-Maximum-Weekly-Wage-Base.pdf
- www.khon2.com/local-news/former-uh-researcher-gets-6-7-million-settlement-for-lab-explosion-injuries
- www.kitv.com/news/severely-injured-construction-worker-receives-6-6m-settlement/article_e17b1bf6-973f-11ef-81ff-3f9080f5851d.html
- www.courts.state.hi.us/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/SCWC-20-0000172.pdf
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
Connecticut
Max $1,716/wk (2026), 28-day contest deadline, SIF closed since 1995
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
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