Washington DC Workers' Compensation Settlement Calculator
Estimate Washington DC workers' comp — Maximum & Minimum Weekly Compensation Rate, Waiting Period, PPD — Weeks-Based Schedule
District of Columbia workers' compensation claims are governed by D.C. Code § 32-1505 / OWC Rate Notice eff. 1/1/2025 (Maximum & Minimum Weekly Compensation Rate): Max $1,852.07/wk, Min $463.02/wk (exactly 25% of max) — the most recently published OWC rate, effective January 1, 2025. Of the 3 landmark District of Columbia workers' compensation awards documented on this page, the largest is $1.1M (Schwechter v. D.C. Dep't of Emp. Servs. — lump-sum Compensation Order settlement (D.C. Ct. App. No. 22-AA-007); 2023).
🏛️ WASHINGTON DC: Maximum & Minimum Weekly Compensation Rate | Waiting Period | PPD — Weeks-Based Schedule
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
Washington DC Workers' Compensation Law
Washington DC workers' compensation benefits is governed by D.C. Code § 32-1505 / OWC Rate Notice eff. 1/1/2025 (Maximum & Minimum Weekly Compensation Rate): Max $1,852.07/wk, Min $452.17/wk (exactly 25% of max) — the most recently published OWC rate, effective January 1, 2025. Max equals the District's own average weekly wage of insured employees (or $396.78, whichever is greater — the 1982 statutory floor). OWC issues an updated rate letter each January; TPD/PPD payments are separately capped at 500 weeks total (extendable to 667 weeks if an IME confirms whole-body impairment over 20%).
Waiting Period (D.C. Code § 32-1505): 3-day waiting period (no compensation for first 3 days of disability). Waiting period is retroactively paid only if disability continues beyond 14 days — a notably longer retroactivity trigger than most states.
PPD — Weeks-Based Schedule (LHWCA Model) (D.C. Code § 32-1508): 66 2/3% of AWW × scheduled weeks per body part, capped at the current max weekly rate. Schedule mirrors the federal Longshore Act almost exactly: arm 312 wks, leg 288 wks, hand 244 wks, foot 205 wks, eye 160 wks, thumb 75 wks, first finger 46 wks, great toe 38 wks, hearing loss one ear 52 wks / both ears 200 wks. Disfigurement capped separately at $7,500.
Key Washington DC Workers' Compensation Statutes
Washington DC workers' compensation benefits operates under these critical legal rules:
D.C. Code § 32-1505 / OWC Rate Notice eff. 1/1/2025
Maximum & Minimum Weekly Compensation RateStandard: Max $1,852.07/wk, Min $463.02/wk (exactly 25% of max) — the most recently published OWC rate, effective January 1, 2025
Scope: Max equals the District's own average weekly wage of insured employees (or $396.78, whichever is greater — the 1982 statutory floor). OWC issues an updated rate letter each January; TPD/PPD payments are separately capped at 500 weeks total (extendable to 667 weeks if an IME confirms whole-body impairment over 20%).
D.C. Code § 32-1505
Waiting PeriodStandard: 3-day waiting period (no compensation for first 3 days of disability)
Scope: Waiting period is retroactively paid only if disability continues beyond 14 days — a notably longer retroactivity trigger than most states.
D.C. Code § 32-1508
PPD — Weeks-Based Schedule (LHWCA Model)Standard: 66 2/3% of AWW × scheduled weeks per body part, capped at the current max weekly rate
Scope: Schedule mirrors the federal Longshore Act almost exactly: arm 312 wks, leg 288 wks, hand 244 wks, foot 205 wks, eye 160 wks, thumb 75 wks, first finger 46 wks, great toe 38 wks, hearing loss one ear 52 wks / both ears 200 wks. Disfigurement capped separately at $7,500.
D.C. Code § 32-1504
Exclusive Remedy — Failure-to-Secure ExceptionStandard: WC is the exclusive remedy against the employer — UNLIKE most states, DC's carve-out is not an 'intentional tort' exception but an employer's failure to secure required WC coverage
Scope: If an employer fails to secure compensation (no insurance/self-insurance), the injured employee may elect WC OR sue at law — and in that lawsuit the employer forfeits the fellow-servant, assumption-of-risk, and contributory-negligence defenses. Third-party tort claims (e.g., against equipment makers, subcontractors) remain fully preserved alongside a WC claim.
D.C. Code § 32-1513 / § 32-1514
Notice (30 Days) + Claim Filing (1 Year)Standard: Written notice to employer + Mayor within 30 days of injury (or 30 days after the worker knew/should have known the injury relates to their job); formal claim within 1 year of injury or last compensation payment
Scope: Notice defects are excused if the employer already knew, the Mayor finds good cause, or no objection is raised at the first hearing. Minors/incompetent claimants without a guardian are exempt from the 1-year clock until a guardian is appointed.
D.C. Code § 32-1540
Special Fund — Uninsured-Employer / Second-Injury BackstopStandard: Mayor-administered fund financed by $5,000 no-beneficiary-death payments, penalties/fines, self-insured-employer assessments, and insurer premium surcharges
Scope: DOES describes it as covering claims tied to uninsured employers and second-injury scenarios referenced in §§ 32-1507(c)/(e), 32-1508(6) and 32-1519(b); fund balances do not revert to the general treasury.
Recovery Structure
Medical treatment (billed at 113% of Medicare rates, employee's choice of physician), lost wages at 66 2/3% of average weekly wage (AWW) subject to the state max/min, permanent impairment awards via the scheduled or unscheduled system, up to $50/week in vocational-rehabilitation supplement payments, and death/survivor benefits. No pain and suffering under WC (the trade-off for exclusive remedy).
Key Washington DC Doctrines
Exclusive Remedy — Failure-to-Secure Exception: WC is the exclusive remedy against the employer — UNLIKE most states, DC's carve-out is not an 'intentional tort' exception but an employer's failure to secure required WC coverage; if that happens, the employee may elect WC or sue at law with the fellow-servant, assumption-of-risk, and contributory-negligence defenses stripped away. Special Fund — Uninsured-Employer / Second-Injury Backstop: Mayor-administered fund financed by $5,000 no-beneficiary-death payments, penalties/fines, self-insured-employer assessments, and insurer premium surcharges.
Damage Structure + Caps
Medical benefits (usually full, at 113% of Medicare fee schedule), lost-wage replacement at 66 2/3% of AWW (max $1,808.66/wk, min $452.17/wk as of the January 2025 OWC rate letter), TPD/PPD capped at 500 weeks (extendable to 667 weeks for severe whole-body impairment), disfigurement capped at $7,500, funeral expenses capped at $5,000, and attorney fees capped at 20% of the benefit secured (D.C. Code § 32-1530) — one of the lowest contingency caps in the country.
Washington DC Workers' Compensation Verdicts + Averages
DC's administrative Compensation Orders rarely publish dollar values, so alongside one court-documented lump-sum settlement these are worked statutory ceilings at the last confirmed rate (marked as calculations, not cases):
| Amount | Year | Case / Injury |
|---|---|---|
| $1.1M | 2023 | Schwechter v. D.C. Dep't of Emp. Servs. — lump-sum Compensation Order settlement (D.C. Ct. App. No. 22-AA-007) — Injuries from a bicycle accident during an employer-sponsored retreat (course-of-employment dispute; settlement held final and non-reopenable) |
| $564K | 2025 | Statutory schedule example — total loss of an arm (312 weeks x $1,808.66/wk max rate, Jan 2025 OWC letter = $564,302) — Illustrative maximum scheduled award (D.C. Code 32-1508) — transparent calculation, not a reported case |
| $441K | 2025 | Statutory schedule example — total loss of a hand (244 weeks x $1,808.66/wk max rate, Jan 2025 OWC letter = $441,313) — Illustrative maximum scheduled award (D.C. Code 32-1508) — transparent calculation, not a reported case |
Washington DC Workers' Compensation FAQs
What is the maximum weekly workers' comp benefit in Washington DC for 2026?
The OWC rate for calendar year 2026 sets the DC max at $1,852.07/week, with a floor of exactly 25% of that maximum (D.C. Code § 32-1505). OWC republishes updated maximum/minimum rates every January, so a 2026 figure is expected but was not yet independently confirmed as of August 2026 — use the January 2025 rate as the most recently verified benchmark. Your benefit = 66 2/3% of your average weekly wage (AWW), up to this cap.
How long do I have to report my Washington DC work injury?
DC requires written notice to both your employer and the Mayor within 30 days of the injury — or within 30 days of when you knew (or reasonably should have known) the injury was connected to your job (D.C. Code § 32-1513). Missing this deadline doesn't automatically kill your claim if your employer already knew, or if no one objects at your first hearing — but don't rely on that; report in writing and keep copies.
Can I sue my employer in Washington DC in addition to workers' comp?
Generally NO — workers' comp is DC's 'exclusive remedy' against your employer (D.C. Code § 32-1504). The narrow exception: if your employer FAILED TO SECURE required workers' comp coverage (no insurance, not self-insured), you may elect to file a WC claim OR sue at law — and in that lawsuit the employer loses the fellow-servant, assumption-of-risk, and contributory-negligence defenses. Third-party claims against non-employer defendants (equipment makers, subcontractors, etc.) are always preserved alongside a WC claim.
What is a lump-sum settlement in Washington DC workers' comp?
Under D.C. Code § 32-1508(8), you and the insurer/employer can agree to a lump-sum payment that fully and finally resolves your claim. Be careful: in Schwechter v. D.C. Dep't of Emp. Servs. (D.C. Ct. App. 2023), the court held that a $1,050,000 lump-sum settlement was a final, binding disposition that could NOT later be reopened — even when the claimant's condition worsened. Get an independent medical evaluation and legal advice before signing; once a § 32-1508(8) lump sum is approved, you typically cannot come back for more.
Should I accept the first settlement offer?
Almost never. Initial offers typically underestimate permanent impairment and future medical needs — and DC lump-sum settlements are usually final (see above). Before accepting, get an independent medical evaluation and consult a workers' comp attorney; DC caps attorney fees at 20% of the benefit secured (D.C. Code § 32-1530), one of the lowest contingency caps in the country, so representation is inexpensive relative to what's at stake.
Pending Washington DC Workers' Compensation Issues
Active legal developments (as of April 2026):
- Only the January 1, 2025 OWC rate letter ($1,808.66 max / $452.17 min) could be independently verified — DOES republishes updated maximum/minimum rates every January (per the 1982-2025 table in that same letter), so a January 2026 rate almost certainly exists, but its PDF was not locatable in available public sources. Treat the figures above as the last confirmed rate, not a confirmed 2026 rate.
- DC workers' comp claims are resolved administratively (Memoranda of Informal Conference, Compensation Orders, § 32-1508(8) lump-sum settlements) that are not systematically published with dollar amounts, unlike WA's C&R filings. Only one settlement with a verified dollar figure (Schwechter, $1,050,000) could be confirmed after extensive search; several other 2023-2026 D.C. Court of Appeals/Compensation Review Board decisions (Lecea, Lopez, Rieger, Freeland, Howard University Hospital, Jannie White) address legal doctrine without disclosing award amounts.
- DOES's Compensation Review Board public decision library was suspended as of August 2026 ('the link ... has been suspended'), limiting independent access to additional CRB opinions beyond what defense-firm case summaries reported.
- The Special Fund's exact second-injury apportionment formula (how much a subsequent employer/insurer is credited vs. the fund) was not independently verified beyond DOES's own program description.
- Scheduled-award dollar caps (e.g., for arm/leg/hand loss) are NOT fixed dollar amounts in the statute — they are weeks × the max weekly rate in effect on the date of injury, so the effective ceiling changes every year; a third-party site's quoted fixed dollar cap for leg loss ($518,400) does not match DOES's own verified 2025 rate table when recomputed (288 wks × $1,808.66 ≈ $520,894) and should be treated with caution.
Informational only — consult a licensed attorney for case-specific advice.
Primary Sources
- does.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/does/publication/attachments/Maximum-Minimum%20Compensation%20Rate%202025.pdf
- code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/32-1505
- code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/32-1508
- code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/32-1504
- code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/32-1513
- code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/32-1514
- code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/32-1540
- code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/32-1506
- code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/32-1509
- code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/32-1507
- code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/32-1530
- code.dccouncil.gov/us/dc/council/code/sections/32-1503
- www.tthlaw.com/enotes-workers-compensation-april-2023-washington-dc
- does.dc.gov/page/workers-compensation-does
- does.dc.gov/page/compensation-review-board
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
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