Kentucky Workers' Compensation Settlement Calculator
Estimate Kentucky workers' comp — Max/Min Weekly Benefit, PPD Impairment-Rating Formula, Occupational Disease + Black Lung
Kentucky workers' compensation claims are governed by KRS 342.730(1)(a) / 342.740 / 2026 Benefit Schedule (eff. Jan 1, 2026) (Max/Min Weekly Benefit): TTD/PTD = 66⅔% of AWW, capped at 110% of state AWW — $1,277.99/wk for 2026 — floor 20% of state AWW ($232.36/wk). Of the 3 landmark Kentucky workers' compensation awards documented on this page, the largest is $67.5M (Jury verdict for coal-miner brothers Leslie & Michael Cox — 3M found 30-40% liable for defective dust masks against coal dust (third-party product-liability claim, outside WC exclusive remedy); 2019).
⛏️ KENTUCKY: Max/Min Weekly Benefit | PPD — Impairment-Rating Formula | Occupational Disease + Black Lung
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
Kentucky Workers' Compensation Law
Kentucky workers' compensation benefits is governed by KRS 342.730(1) / 342.740 / 2026 Benefit Schedule (Max/Min Weekly Benefit): TTD/PTD = 66⅔% of AWW, capped at 110% of state AWW — $1,277.99/wk for 2026 — floor 20% of state AWW ($232.36/wk). State average weekly wage (SAWW) recalculated every Sept. 1 by the Dept. of Workers' Claims using the prior year's unemployment-insurance wage data (KRS 342.740); 2026 SAWW = $1,161.81.
PPD — Impairment-Rating Formula (KRS 342.730(1)(b)-(c)): PPD = 66⅔% of AWW (capped at 82.5% of SAWW, ≈$958.49/wk for 2026) × AMA-Guides impairment rating × severity factor (0.65 at 0-5% impairment up to 1.70 at 36%+). If the worker cannot return to the type of work performed at injury, the weekly rate — not the duration — is tripled. Duration: 425 weeks for ratings ≤50%, 520 weeks for ratings >50%.
Occupational Disease + Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis (Black Lung) (KRS 342.316): 3-year filing deadline from last injurious exposure or symptom manifestation (5-year outer limit); 20-year window for radiation/asbestos/certain cancers. Distinctive Kentucky coal-industry provision: black-lung claims require a NIOSH-certified 'B-reader' chest X-ray + spirometry and 2+ years of qualifying exposure within the preceding 10 years. The old Special Fund (KRS 342.120) closed to new claims after Dec. 12, 1996, and black-lung liability shifted to KEMI (Kentucky Employers' Mutual Insurance) under 2022 amendments.
Key Kentucky Workers' Compensation Statutes
Kentucky workers' compensation benefits operates under these critical legal rules:
KRS 342.730(1)(a) / 342.740 / 2026 Benefit Schedule (eff. Jan 1, 2026)
Max/Min Weekly BenefitStandard: TTD/PTD = 66⅔% of AWW, capped at 110% of state AWW — $1,277.99/wk for 2026 — floor 20% of state AWW ($232.36/wk)
Scope: State average weekly wage (SAWW) recalculated every Sept. 1 by the Dept. of Workers' Claims using the prior year's unemployment-insurance wage data (KRS 342.740); 2026 SAWW = $1,161.81. Adjustments only trigger if min moves $1+ or max moves $2+.
KRS 342.730(1)(b)-(c)
PPD — Impairment-Rating FormulaStandard: PPD = 66⅔% of AWW (capped at 82.5% of SAWW, ≈$958.49/wk for 2026) × AMA-Guides impairment rating × severity factor (0.65 at 0-5% impairment up to 1.70 at 36%+)
Scope: If the worker cannot return to the type of work performed at injury, the weekly rate — not the duration — is tripled (KRS 342.730(1)(c)1-2). Duration: 425 weeks for ratings ≤50%, 520 weeks for ratings >50%.
KRS 342.040(1)
Waiting PeriodStandard: 7-day waiting period — no benefits for the injury day plus the first 7 days
Scope: If disability continues past 2 weeks, the first 7 days are paid retroactively. Benefits start the first regular payday after the 7-day wait and must be paid at least semimonthly. Interest on late benefits: 6% standard, 12% if delay/denial was 'without reasonable foundation.'
KRS 342.690(1)
Exclusive RemedyStandard: Employer liability is 'exclusive and in place of all other liability' to the employee once workers' comp coverage is secured
Scope: Exceptions: willful, unprovoked physical aggression by the employer; uninsured employers (employee may sue directly and defendant loses negligence/assumption-of-risk/contributory-negligence defenses); third-party claims against non-employer defendants (equipment makers, other drivers, subcontractors) run in parallel with WC.
KRS 342.185(1)-(2)
Notice + 2-Year Filing DeadlineStandard: Notice to employer 'as soon as practicable'; claim must be filed with the Dept. of Workers' Claims within 2 years of the accident (or death)
Scope: If income benefits are already being paid, the deadline is 2 years after payments stop, whichever is later. Cumulative-trauma injuries: 2 years from physician's work-relatedness diagnosis. HIV exposure: 5-year window.
KRS 342.316
Occupational Disease + Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis (Black Lung)Standard: 3-year filing deadline from last injurious exposure or symptom manifestation (5-year outer limit); 20-year window for radiation/asbestos/certain cancers
Scope: Distinctive Kentucky coal-industry provision: black-lung claims require a NIOSH-certified 'B-reader' chest X-ray + spirometry and 2+ years of qualifying exposure within the preceding 10 years. Special Fund (KRS 342.120) closed to injuries after Dec. 12, 1996; coal workers' pneumoconiosis liability shifted to KEMI (Kentucky Employers' Mutual Insurance) under 2022 amendments.
Recovery Structure
Medical treatment (generally unlimited for the accepted injury), wage-replacement income benefits (TTD/PTD at 66⅔% of AWW, PPD via the impairment-rating formula), vocational rehabilitation, and death/survivor benefits (50% of AWW to a surviving spouse without children, plus 15% per dependent child, capped at 75% of AWW aggregate; up to $50,000 burial expense, adjusted with SAWW). No pain-and-suffering recovery under WC — the trade-off for the exclusive-remedy bar.
Key Kentucky Doctrines
Exclusive Remedy: Employer liability is 'exclusive and in place of all other liability' once WC coverage is secured, barring ordinary negligence suits — except for willful, unprovoked physical aggression, uninsured employers (who lose standard defenses and can be sued directly), and third-party claims against non-employer defendants (equipment makers, other drivers, subcontractors), which run in parallel with WC. Occupational Disease + Coal Workers' Pneumoconiosis (Black Lung): distinct notice/filing rules and medical-proof standards reflecting Kentucky's coal industry.
Damage Structure + Caps
Max weekly benefit $1,277.99 (110% of 2026 SAWW), min $232.36 (20% of SAWW), PPD capped at 82.5% of SAWW (≈$958.49/wk). PPD duration: 425 weeks (≤50% impairment) or 520 weeks (>50% impairment) — the 'cannot return to work' enhancement triples the rate, not the duration. Death benefits capped at 75% of AWW aggregate plus a $50,000 burial allowance. Benefits otherwise run until age 70 or 4 years post-injury, whichever is later.
Kentucky Workers' Compensation Verdicts + Awards
Recent Kentucky workers' compensation and related third-party outcomes:
| Amount | Year | Case / Injury |
|---|---|---|
| $67.5M | 2019 | Jury verdict for coal-miner brothers Leslie & Michael Cox — 3M found 30-40% liable for defective dust masks against coal dust (third-party product-liability claim, outside WC exclusive remedy) — Coal workers' pneumoconiosis (black lung disease) |
| $97K | 2025 | Ford Motor Co. v. Badall (Ky. Ct. App., 2024-CA-... series) — Court of Appeals affirmed an enhanced (2x) PPD award of $228.60/wk over the 425-week statutory duration under KRS 342.730(1)(c)2 — Cumulative trauma injury to the back (forklift operator) |
| $67K | 2024 | General Motors v. Brandi Woods (Ky. Ct. App. 2024) — court affirmed a $972.53 AWW (including a disputed vacation payout) and 21% impairment rating; base PPD total computed per the KRS 342.730(1)(b) formula over 425 weeks — Work-related injury, 21% whole-person impairment rating |
Kentucky Workers' Compensation FAQs
What is the maximum weekly workers' comp benefit in Kentucky for 2026?
The Kentucky 2026 maximum is $1,277.99/week (110% of the $1,161.81 state average weekly wage, KRS 342.730/342.740). The minimum is $232.36/week (20% of SAWW). Your actual benefit is 66⅔% of your own average weekly wage, subject to those caps — PPD is separately capped at about $958.49/week (82.5% of SAWW).
How long do I have to report and file a Kentucky workers' comp claim?
Give your employer notice 'as soon as practicable' after the accident, and file your claim with the Department of Workers' Claims within 2 years of the accident (or death). If you're already receiving income benefits, the deadline moves to 2 years after payments stop, whichever is later. Cumulative-trauma injuries run 2 years from your doctor's work-relatedness diagnosis; occupational disease claims generally have a 3-year deadline from last exposure (5-year outer limit, 20 years for asbestos/radiation/certain cancers).
Can I sue my employer in Kentucky in addition to workers' comp?
Generally NO — Kentucky workers' comp is the 'exclusive remedy' against your employer (KRS 342.690). Exceptions: (1) third-party claims against a non-employer at fault (equipment manufacturer, other driver, subcontractor) can run alongside your WC claim, (2) willful, unprovoked physical aggression by the employer, and (3) if your employer was illegally uninsured, you can sue directly and the employer loses standard negligence defenses.
What is a lump-sum settlement in Kentucky workers' comp?
Kentucky allows agreed settlements that resolve some or all of a claim — typically the PPD/PTD income-benefit portion, and sometimes future medical — in exchange for a lump-sum or structured payment. Settlements need approval from an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) at the Department of Workers' Claims. Whether future medical is included (full resolution) or carved out (open medical) is negotiable and significantly affects value.
Should I accept the first settlement offer in my Kentucky claim?
Almost never without review. Initial offers often undervalue your AMA-Guides impairment rating and future medical needs, and Kentucky's impairment-factor formula (0.65x up to 1.70x depending on rating, tripled if you can't return to your old job) means small differences in the rating can swing the total significantly. Get an independent medical evaluation and talk to a workers' comp attorney — most work on contingency, with fees regulated by Kentucky statute — before signing anything.
Pending Kentucky Workers' Compensation Issues
Active legal developments (as of April 2026):
- PPD totals for Ford v. Badall and GM v. Woods are calculated from the exact weekly rate/duration figures stated in the Court of Appeals opinions using the KRS 342.730 formula — the opinions themselves state the weekly rate and formula inputs, not a single lump-sum total.
- Whether the 'enhanced' 3x PPD multiplier (worker cannot return to pre-injury work) applied in GM v. Woods was not addressed in the AWW-calculation opinion relied on here — the $66,545 figure assumes the BASE (non-tripled) rate and may understate the actual award if the multiplier applied.
- The 2026 SAWW ($1,161.81) and resulting max/min benefits are set annually each September 1 (KRS 342.740) based on the prior year's wage data — verify against the current elc.ky.gov schedule before relying on it for injuries near a calendar-year boundary.
- Several law-firm-published Kentucky WC case results (e.g., a $1,300,000 combined PI/WC settlement for a fractured back in Muhlenberg County, a $350,000 traumatic brain injury case, a $280,000 shoulder-replacement case, and a $150,000 police-officer case) list real dollar amounts and injuries but no confirmable settlement year, so they were excluded from landmark verdicts.
- Russell v. International Automotive Components (Ky. S. Ct. 2025-SC-0241-WC, decided Apr. 23, 2026) vacated an ALJ's 3.2x enhanced-PPD multiplier for insufficient evidentiary support on a 13.6%-impairment cumulative-trauma claim — an important pending precedent on the 'cannot return to work' standard, but the case is on remand and has no final dollar award.
Informational only — consult a licensed attorney for case-specific advice.
Primary Sources
- elc.ky.gov/Workers-Compensation/Workers%20Compensation/2026%20Workers'%20Compensation%20Benefit%20Schedule.pdf
- law.justia.com/codes/kentucky/2023/chapter-342/section-342-730
- law.justia.com/codes/kentucky/2023/chapter-342/section-342-740
- law.justia.com/codes/kentucky/2023/chapter-342/section-342-040
- law.justia.com/codes/kentucky/2023/chapter-342/section-342-690
- law.justia.com/codes/kentucky/2023/chapter-342/section-342-185
- law.justia.com/codes/kentucky/2023/chapter-342/section-342-316
- law.justia.com/codes/kentucky/2023/chapter-342/section-342-750
- law.justia.com/codes/kentucky/2023/chapter-342/section-342-120
- topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/consumer-products/jury-awards-67-5m-miners-3m-dust-mask-black-lung-lawsuit
- www.courtlistener.com/opinion/10337170/ford-motor-co-v-joseph-badall
- www.courtlistener.com/opinion/10142317/general-motors-v-brandi-woods
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
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