Tennessee Workers' Compensation Settlement Calculator
Estimate Tennessee workers' comp — Compensation Rate & AWW Formula, 15-Day Notice Deadline, PPD — Impairment-Rating Formula
Tennessee workers' compensation claims are governed by Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-102 (Compensation Rate & AWW Formula): Weekly benefit = 66-2/3% of the employee's average weekly wage (AWW). Of the 3 landmark Tennessee workers' compensation awards documented on this page, the largest is $77K (Statutory maximum example — one full year of TTD at the FY2026-27 cap (52 weeks x $1,488.30/wk = $77,392); 2026).
🎸 TENNESSEE: Compensation Rate & AWW Formula | 15-Day Notice Deadline | PPD — Impairment-Rating Formula
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
Tennessee Workers' Compensation Law
Tennessee workers' compensation benefits is governed by Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-102 (Compensation Rate & AWW Formula): weekly benefits equal 66-2/3% of the employee's average weekly wage (AWW), subject to statutory caps. For injuries occurring July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027, the maximum temporary total disability (TTD) rate is $1,488.30/week (110% of the state AWW), the maximum permanent disability rate is approximately $1,353.00/week (100% of the state AWW), and the minimum rate is approximately $202.95/week (15% of the state AWW). Rates reset every July 1.
15-Day Notice Deadline (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-201): written notice of a work injury must reach the employer within 15 days of the accident — one of the shortest windows of any state. For gradual or cumulative injuries, the clock starts when the employee knew or should have known the condition was work-related. Minor notice defects don't bar a claim unless the employer proves it was prejudiced.
PPD — Impairment-Rating Formula (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-207): the original permanent partial disability award equals 66-2/3% of AWW multiplied by the employee's AMA impairment rating, extrapolated over up to 450 weeks — not a fixed per-body-part weeks table. Unlike traditional scheduled-member states, Tennessee replaced its old schedule with this rating-based formula in the 2013 Workers' Compensation Reform Act. The original award can later be adjusted through a separate proceeding based on return-to-work status, education, age, and local unemployment rate.
Key Tennessee Workers' Compensation Statutes
Tennessee workers' compensation benefits operates under these critical legal rules:
Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-102
Compensation Rate & AWW FormulaStandard: Weekly benefit = 66-2/3% of the employee's average weekly wage (AWW). TTD capped at 110% of the state AWW ($1,488.30/wk for injuries 7/1/2026-6/30/2027); PPD/PTD capped at 100% of the state AWW (~$1,353.00/wk); minimum benefit is 15% of the state AWW (~$202.95/wk).
Scope: State AWW is set annually each July 1 by the Bureau of Workers' Compensation. TTD cap (110%) applies to injuries after 7/1/2005; PPD/PTD cap (100%) applies to injuries after 7/1/2004.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-108
Exclusive RemedyStandard: Workers' comp is the employee's exclusive remedy against the employer for on-the-job injury or death, barring common-law suits.
Scope: Uninsured employers lose standard tort defenses (contributory negligence, fellow-servant rule, assumption of risk) if sued directly. Third-party indemnity actions against an employer under an express contract are preserved. Case law separately recognizes a common-law retaliatory-discharge claim for firing an employee over a WC claim.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-201
15-Day Notice DeadlineStandard: Written notice of a work injury must reach the employer within 15 days of the accident — one of the shortest notice windows of any state.
Scope: For gradual/cumulative injuries, the 15 days runs from when the employee knew or should have known the condition was work-related. Minor notice defects don't bar a claim unless the employer proves prejudice.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-203
1-Year Statute of LimitationsStandard: Petition for benefit determination must be filed within 1 year of the accident (if no benefits were paid), or within 1 year of the last authorized treatment/last voluntary payment.
Scope: Death-benefit claims: 1 year from date of death. PPD reopening: 2 years from the last PPD payment. Missing scheduled mediation triggers a 60-day cure window before permanent dismissal.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-207
PPD — Impairment-Rating FormulaStandard: Original PPD award = 66-2/3% of AWW × the employee's AMA impairment rating, extrapolated over up to 450 weeks — not a fixed per-body-part weeks table.
Scope: Replaced the old scheduled-member weeks table in the 2013 Workers' Compensation Reform Act. The original award may later be adjusted through a separate proceeding based on return-to-work status, education, age, and local unemployment rate, subject to statutory caps and employer credits.
Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-217
Court of Workers' Compensation ClaimsStandard: Claims are decided by specialized workers' compensation judges in the Court of Workers' Compensation Claims — not a jury — with appeals to the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board, then the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Scope: Interlocutory orders: 7 business days to appeal, board decides within 20 business days. Final compensation orders: 30 days to appeal, board decides within 45 days. Created by the 2013 Reform Act; constitutionality upheld (e.g., Wigdor v. Electric Research & Manufacturing Cooperative, Inc., 2024).
Recovery Structure
Medical treatment (typically unlimited when authorized), lost wages at 66-2/3% of average weekly wage (AWW) subject to the state max/min, permanent impairment awards via the AMA-rating × up-to-450-weeks formula, limited vocational assistance, and death/dependent benefits. No pain and suffering under workers' comp — that trade-off is the basis of the exclusive remedy rule.
Key Tennessee Doctrines
Exclusive Remedy: Workers' comp is the injured employee's sole remedy against the employer for a workplace injury or death — it bars common-law negligence suits. Uninsured employers who get sued directly lose standard defenses (contributory negligence, fellow-servant rule, assumption of risk). Third-party tort claims against a non-employer (equipment maker, subcontractor, negligent driver) remain available and often run parallel to a WC claim. Tennessee courts also recognize a separate common-law claim for retaliatory discharge if an employee is fired for filing a workers' comp claim. Court of Workers' Compensation Claims: Disputes are decided by specialized workers' compensation judges — not a jury — with appeals to the Workers' Compensation Appeals Board and then the Tennessee Supreme Court.
Damage Structure + Caps
TTD capped at 110% of the state AWW (~$1,488.30/wk for FY2026-27); PPD/PTD capped at 100% of the state AWW (~$1,353.00/wk); minimum benefit is 15% of the state AWW (~$202.95/wk). PPD original awards run up to 450 weeks based on the AMA impairment rating; PTD and death benefits continue on a schedule set by the Court of Workers' Compensation Claims.
Tennessee Workers' Compensation Verdicts + Averages
Tennessee's Court of Workers' Compensation Claims does not publish verdict-style dollar headlines, so alongside one verified appellate outcome these are worked statutory examples (marked as calculations, not cases):
| Amount | Year | Case / Injury |
|---|---|---|
| $46K | 2022 | Henderson v. Pee Dee Country Enterprises, Inc., et al. — Tennessee Workers' Comp Appeals Panel affirmed a $46,457.10 lump-sum attorney-fee award tied to a workplace-death benefits claim — Workplace death — dispute over lump-sum commutation and attorney fees in a death-benefits case |
| $77K | 2026 | Statutory maximum example — one full year of TTD at the FY2026-27 cap (52 weeks x $1,488.30/wk = $77,392) — Illustrative ceiling for a year of temporary total disability — transparent calculation from Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-102, not a reported case |
| $30K | 2026 | Worked formula example — 10% AMA impairment rating at a $1,000 average weekly wage (10% x 450 wks = 45 weeks x $666.67 = $30,000) — Illustrative original PPD award under the Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-207 rating formula — transparent calculation, not a reported case |
Tennessee Workers' Compensation FAQs
What is the maximum weekly workers' comp benefit in Tennessee for 2026?
For injuries occurring between July 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027, Tennessee's maximum temporary total disability (TTD) rate is $1,488.30/week — 110% of the state average weekly wage (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-102). The maximum for permanent disability benefits is capped lower, at 100% of the state AWW (~$1,353.00/week). Your actual benefit equals 66-2/3% of your own AWW, up to these caps, and rates reset every July 1.
How long do I have to report my Tennessee work injury?
Tennessee requires written notice to your employer within 15 days of the accident (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-201) — one of the shortest notice deadlines in the country. For gradual or repetitive-trauma injuries, the 15 days runs from when you knew or should have known the condition was work-related. Report in writing and keep a copy; minor errors in the notice usually won't kill your claim unless the employer proves it was harmed by the delay.
Can I sue my employer in Tennessee in addition to workers' comp?
Generally NO — Tennessee workers' comp is 'exclusive remedy' (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-108), meaning it's your only remedy against your employer for a workplace injury. Exceptions: (1) third-party claims against a non-employer defendant (equipment manufacturer, subcontractor, negligent driver), which can run alongside your WC claim; (2) if your employer failed to carry workers' comp insurance, it loses standard tort defenses if you sue directly; (3) if you're fired for filing a WC claim, Tennessee recognizes a separate common-law retaliatory-discharge claim.
How is a permanent partial disability (PPD) settlement calculated in Tennessee?
Tennessee doesn't use an old-style dollar/weeks table for most body parts. Instead (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-207), your original PPD award equals 66-2/3% of your average weekly wage × your AMA impairment rating, extrapolated over up to 450 weeks. If you don't return to work at the same or greater wage, you may later seek increased benefits based on your education, age, and local unemployment rate through a separate proceeding.
Should I accept the first settlement offer in my Tennessee workers' comp claim?
Almost never without review. Initial offers often undervalue your permanent impairment rating and future medical needs. Before signing, get an independent medical evaluation and talk to a workers' comp attorney — Tennessee claims are decided by specialized workers' compensation judges in the Court of Workers' Compensation Claims (not a jury), and attorney fees are regulated by statute, typically contingency-based.
Pending Tennessee Workers' Compensation Issues
Active legal developments (as of April 2026):
- The official TN Bureau of Workers' Compensation rate-notice page (tn.gov) was inaccessible as of August 2026 (403/timeout). The $1,488.30/wk maximum TTD rate for FY2026-27 is corroborated by independent news coverage (24/7 Wall St / Yahoo Finance, Aug. 5, 2026), but the ~$1,353.00 state AWW and ~$202.95 minimum rate were mathematically derived from that figure via the confirmed 110%-of-SAWW statutory formula, not read directly off an official rate table — verify against the Bureau's published rate chart before relying on the derived figures.
- The vocational-assistance component of the Subsequent Injury and Vocational Recovery Fund (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-208, capped at $5,000/yr and $20,000/employee) is stated to sunset for injuries after June 30, 2025 — whether it was extended or replaced by the legislature before publication has not been confirmed.
- Exact multiplier caps for the 'increased benefits' proceeding under § 50-6-207 (based on non-return-to-work status, education, age, and county unemployment rate) has not been confirmed from accessible sources as of August 2026.
- A pending case — the AES/Accurate Energetic Systems munitions-plant explosion (Hickman County, 2025, 16 fatalities) — is testing the narrow intentional-injury exception to exclusive remedy via a $150M wrongful-death claim; unresolved as of August 2026, so it is not usable as a landmark verdict.
- Only one dollar-and-date-verified Tennessee workers'-comp appellate outcome (Henderson, 2022) could be confirmed via publicly accessible sources — Tennessee's Court of Workers' Compensation Claims doesn't publish jury-verdict-style dollar headlines the way tort-verdict databases do in other states, and several appellate opinion PDFs on tncourts.gov were blocked by a browser-verification challenge as of August 2026.
Informational only — consult a licensed attorney for case-specific advice.
Primary Sources
- 247wallst.com/investing/2026/08/05/tennessee-raised-workers-comp-to-1488-a-week-an-injured-tradesman-could-watch-his-social-security-disability-shrink
- law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2023/title-50/chapter-6/part-1/section-50-6-102
- law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2023/title-50/chapter-6/part-2/section-50-6-108
- law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2023/title-50/chapter-6/part-2/section-50-6-201
- law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2023/title-50/chapter-6/part-2/section-50-6-203
- law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2023/title-50/chapter-6/part-2/section-50-6-207
- law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2023/title-50/chapter-6/part-2/section-50-6-208
- law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/2023/title-50/chapter-6/part-2/section-50-6-217
- www.tncourts.gov/courts/work-comp/opinions
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
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 Tennessee
Each Tennessee calculator reflects state-specific laws (caps, statutes of limitations, comparative-negligence rules) and uses Tennessee verdict data where available.