CT Workers Compensation Rates: The 2026 Benefit Cap, Premiums and the Gardner Lawsuit
Reference Guide
“CT workers compensation rates” means two different numbers. For injured workers, it is the weekly benefit cap — $1,776 for injuries on or after October 1, 2026. For employers, it is the premium level — down 3.8% on average in 2026, with a further 4.9% cut proposed for 2027. The lawsuit behind the search is Gardner, a 2025 Connecticut Supreme Court case that threatened to push costs up by as much as 265% until lawmakers reversed it. There is no class action, no settlement and no claim form.
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What the Gardner Case Was About
Gardner v. Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services was not a class action. It was one state employee's workers' compensation appeal over a wrist injury. The question: once an injured worker reaches maximum medical improvement, must the judge switch them from temporary partial benefits to permanent partial benefits, or may the judge keep paying temporary partial benefits?
On March 18, 2025 the Connecticut Supreme Court held that the statute (§ 31-308) gives administrative law judges that discretion. It reversed a 2024 Appellate Court judgment and the Compensation Review Board, both of which had sided with the state employer. Per press coverage of the ruling, it meant temporary benefits could continue for up to 520 weeks after maximum medical improvement.
Case details
Gardner v. Dept. of Mental Health & Addiction Services, SC 20994, 351 Conn. 488, Connecticut Supreme Court, decided March 18, 2025 (judgment: reversed, further proceedings). This is a state court case — there is no federal docket and no multidistrict litigation. Benefit rates themselves are set administratively: the Workers' Compensation Commission publishes the weekly caps each year, and the Connecticut Insurance Department rules on the premium filing made by NCCI on behalf of insurers.
Status: Gardner Reversed by Statute, New Caps in Effect
Benefits: for injuries on or after October 1, 2026, the maximum weekly benefit for total disability and dependents is $1,776 (up from $1,716). The partial disability cap is $1,175 (down from $1,220), because it tracks a different wage series.
Premiums: employer loss costs fell 3.8% on average on January 1, 2026. On September 29, 2026 the Insurance Department opened a 30-day comment period on an NCCI proposal to cut loss costs another 4.9% and assigned-risk rates 5.8% from January 1, 2027. As of October 23, 2026 we found no final decision on that filing.
Gardner: lawmakers passed a fix on May 19, 2025, signed May 20, 2025, effective July 1, 2025 and retroactive to claims filed on or after July 1, 1993.
Who These Rates Apply To
The benefit caps apply to Connecticut workers by date of injury, not by date of claim or payment. An injury on September 30, 2026 falls under the 2025–2026 table; an injury on October 1, 2026 or later falls under the 2026–2027 table, which runs through September 30, 2027.
The premium filing applies to employers buying workers' compensation insurance in Connecticut. The 4.9% figure is a statewide average of loss costs; by industry group the proposal ranges from −3.6% for office and clerical to −6.0% for contracting. Your own premium also depends on your carrier, class codes, payroll and claims history.
For how a claim moves from injury to hearing, see our Hartford workers' comp claim guide and the general claim process.
How the Weekly Benefit Is Figured
Total disability (temporary or permanent): maximum $1,776; minimum 20% of the maximum ($355.20), but never more than 75% of the worker's own average weekly wage.
Temporary partial disability: maximum $1,175, no minimum.
Permanent partial disability: maximum $1,175, minimum $50.
The state cap equals the statewide average weekly wage, which the Commission's 2026–2027 benefit rate table puts at $1,775.92 (the Labor Commissioner's estimate in Memorandum 2026-05 is rounded to $1,776.00). To run your own number, use our Connecticut workers' comp calculator. There is no settlement fund connected to Gardner; it changed how benefits are awarded, and the legislature then changed them back.
CT Workers Comp Rates and Gardner Timeline
March 18, 2025 — Supreme Court Decides Gardner
The Connecticut Supreme Court (SC 20994) holds that judges may keep paying temporary partial benefits after maximum medical improvement, reversing the Appellate Court.
April 2025 — The 265% Warning
CBIA releases an NCCI impact analysis; press reports say the ruling could raise claim costs by as much as 265%, including on open claims not priced into past premiums.
May 19–20, 2025 — Legislature Overrides the Ruling
The House and Senate pass the fix inside budget bill HB 6863 on May 19; the governor signs it the next day. It takes effect July 1, 2025, retroactive to claims filed on or after July 1, 1993.
January 1, 2026 — Premiums Drop 3.8%
The Insurance Department's approval of NCCI's filing cuts voluntary loss costs 3.8% and assigned-risk rates 0.4% on average.
October 1, 2026 — New Benefit Cap of $1,776
Under WCC Memorandum 2026-05 of September 4, 2026, total disability is capped at $1,776 and partial disability at $1,175 for injuries on or after this date.
September 29, 2026 — 2027 Premium Cut Proposed
NCCI proposes a 4.9% loss-cost cut and a 5.8% assigned-risk cut effective January 1, 2027. A 30-day comment period opens; no hearing is planned. As of October 23, 2026, no final decision found.
Three Things to Watch For
A search that mixes “rates” and “lawsuit” attracts offers that sound official but are not:
“Gardner settlement” or back-pay claim offers
Gardner was a single worker's appeal, not a class action, and the 2025 law reversed its effect retroactively. No fund or claims portal exists. Anyone asking for a fee or your Social Security number to “recover Gardner benefits” is not filing anything.
Unofficial “2026 rate table” downloads
The official benefit tables are published free by the Workers' Compensation Commission on portal.ct.gov. A site that gates the tables behind a sign-up form is collecting your contact details for marketing, not giving you anything the state doesn't.
“Lock in the 2027 rate cut now” pitches
As of October 23, 2026, the 4.9% cut is a proposal awaiting the Insurance Department's decision, and it is a statewide average of loss costs, not a guaranteed discount on your policy. Treat any broker promising a fixed percentage as a sales pitch.
CT Workers Compensation Rates — Questions People Actually Ask
Short answers to the questions people ask most about this case.
What is the maximum workers' comp rate in Connecticut for 2026?
For injuries on or after October 1, 2026, the maximum weekly benefit for total disability and dependents' benefits is $1,776, per WCC Memorandum 2026-05. The partial disability maximum is $1,175. For injuries from October 1, 2025 through September 30, 2026, the caps were $1,716 and $1,220.
How to figure out workers' comp rates?
In Connecticut, start with your average weekly wage. The Commission's tables convert it to 75% of after-tax average weekly wage, which is your base rate. That figure is then capped at the maximum for your date of injury ($1,776 for total disability from October 1, 2026). For total disability there is also a floor of $355.20, but it cannot exceed 75% of your own average weekly wage.
How does workers' comp work in CT?
An injured worker reports the injury, the employer's insurer pays weekly benefits and medical care, and disputes go to administrative law judges at the Workers' Compensation Commission. After maximum medical improvement, the judge awards permanent partial disability benefits — that is the rule the 2025 law restored after Gardner. Our Hartford claim guide walks through the steps.
What was the Gardner ruling, and does it still apply?
On March 18, 2025, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled in Gardner (SC 20994, 351 Conn. 488) that judges could keep paying temporary partial benefits after maximum medical improvement. The legislature overrode it in May 2025: judges must now award permanent partial benefits at that point, and post-MMI benefits for workers who cannot return to their usual job are limited to 60 weeks, conditioned on vocational rehabilitation.
Are Connecticut workers' comp insurance rates going up or down?
Down. Loss costs fell 3.8% on January 1, 2026, which Insurance Journal reported as the twelfth straight annual decrease. NCCI has proposed a further 4.9% cut for January 1, 2027; as of October 23, 2026 the Insurance Department had not announced a decision. The 30-day comment period opened September 29, 2026; comments were to be sent to the Property & Casualty Division at cid.pc@ct.gov.
What is CT minimum wage 2026?
Connecticut's minimum wage rose from $16.35 to $16.94 an hour on January 1, 2026, a 3.6% increase tied to the federal employment cost index. That is a wage-and-hour question, separate from workers' comp; the Connecticut Department of Labor handles it, not the Workers' Compensation Commission.
What is the CT workers' comp phone number?
The Workers' Compensation Commission's benefit tables list 1-800-223-WORK for assistance. For questions about the employer premium filing, the Insurance Department's Property and Casualty Division is at (860) 297-3800.
Did the 2025 law change anything else?
Yes. Per a summary by employment law firm Littler, it raised the permanent partial schedule for the cervical spine from 117 to 208 weeks, added the esophagus and intestinal tract to the schedule, and extended survivor benefits to a deceased worker's parents. For workers injured before July 1, 1993, cost-of-living adjustments are explained in the same WCC memorandum that sets the caps.
About This Information
Editorially Reviewed — Content reviewed for accuracy using published legal research, government data, and verified court records. See our methodology. Reviewed by Leonard Goldberg, Editor · Last updated - $236 billion in real payouts analyzed · See what we found
This page is for general information only and is not legal advice. Lawsuit status, eligibility, and compensation can change. Settlement Insight is not a law firm and does not represent any party. Consult a licensed attorney about your specific situation.
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