Florida Workers’ Comp Settlement Chart (2026): Ratings, Weeks & Real Dollars
If you searched for a “Florida workers’ comp settlement chart,” here’s the honest answer most articles dance around: Florida doesn’t have an official chart that assigns a dollar value to each body part. Instead, Florida uses an impairment-rating formula under Fla. Stat. § 440.15(3) that converts your doctor’s permanent impairment rating into a set number of paid weeks — and most cases ultimately resolve through a negotiated lump-sum settlement on top of that. Below is the chart Florida actually uses, with 2026 dollars filled in.
The 2026 Florida impairment benefits chart (rating → weeks → dollars)
Once you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI), your doctor assigns a permanent impairment rating (PIR). Florida pays impairment income benefits at 75% of your temporary disability rate, for a number of weeks determined by your rating:
| Impairment rating | Weeks paid | AWW $600 | AWW $900 | AWW $1,200 | At 2026 cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5% | 10 | $3,000 | $4,500 | $6,000 | $10,185 |
| 10% | 20 | $6,000 | $9,000 | $12,000 | $20,370 |
| 15% | 35 | $10,500 | $15,750 | $21,000 | $35,648 |
| 20% | 55 | $16,500 | $24,750 | $33,000 | $56,018 |
| 25% | 85 | $25,500 | $38,250 | $51,000 | $86,573 |
How the weeks scale: 2 weeks per percentage point for ratings 1–10%, 3 weeks per point for 11–15%, 4 weeks per point for 16–20%, and 6 weeks per point at 21% and above. AWW = your average weekly wage. The 2026 maximum compensation rate is $1,358/week.
How the formula actually works (with the step everyone skips)
Say you earned an average weekly wage of $1,200 over the 13 weeks before your injury (Fla. Stat. § 440.14):
- Temporary disability rate: 66⅔% of AWW = $800/week (capped at $1,358 in 2026).
- Impairment benefit rate: 75% of that = $600/week.
- Your rating buys weeks: an 8% rating = 16 weeks.
- Total impairment benefits: 16 × $600 = $9,600.
Here’s the step other articles miss — including several ranking on Google right now: if you’re back at work earning at least your pre-injury wage, the weekly benefit is cut in half (§ 440.15(3)(c)). In the example above, that $9,600 becomes $4,800. Whether and when you return to work changes your number, which is one of several reasons two workers with identical injuries settle for very different amounts. We’ve seen ranking articles use 2018’s maximum rate and even skip the 75% step entirely — if a chart’s math doesn’t start from the current $1,358 cap, its numbers are wrong.
The benefit types behind the chart
Impairment benefits are one of four wage-benefit categories in Florida’s system — and a settlement values your exposure across all of them:
| Benefit | When it applies | Weekly rate (2026) | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Temporary Total (TTD) | Doctor says you can’t work at all yet | 66⅔% of AWW (80% for 6 months after catastrophic injuries) | 104 weeks combined temporary benefits, max $1,358/wk |
| Temporary Partial (TPD) | You’re on light duty or reduced hours | 80% of the difference between 80% of AWW and current earnings | 104 weeks combined, same cap |
| Impairment (IIB) | After MMI, based on your rating | 75% of your TTD rate (halved if earning pre-injury wage) | Weeks per the chart above |
| Permanent Total (PTD) | You can’t return to any employment | 66⅔% of AWW | Generally to age 75 |
If your temporary benefits are approaching the 104-week limit and you haven’t reached MMI, that pressure point often triggers settlement talks — full details on each rate in our 2026 Florida workers’ comp pay guide.
Impairment benefits vs. a lump-sum “washout” settlement
The chart above is only the floor. Most contested Florida cases end in a negotiated settlement under Fla. Stat. § 440.20(11) — commonly called a washout — where the insurance company pays one lump sum to close the claim. That number isn’t from any chart. It’s built from:
- The present value of the indemnity benefits you’d likely receive (the chart, plus any temporary or permanent total exposure);
- The projected cost of your future medical care — often the biggest driver, especially if surgery is on the table;
- The carrier’s risk on disputed issues (compensability, your AWW calculation, permanent total status); and
- In some cases, a Medicare Set-Aside — if you’re on Medicare, or on the SSDI track toward it, part of the settlement may need to be reserved for future injury-related care. This changes the structure and your net, and almost no one discusses it before settlement talks. (If SSDI overlaps your case, see our Social Security Disability practice and our guide to how much disability pays in Florida.)
What you give up in a washout matters as much as the number: you typically release future medical care and the right to reopen the claim. Never sign one without knowing what your future treatment actually costs.
What makes a Florida settlement bigger — or smaller
Bigger: a recommended surgery you haven’t had, a higher (properly documented) impairment rating, an AWW the carrier calculated too low (overtime and a second job count), permanent-total exposure, and a carrier that denied or delayed benefits it owed. Smaller: being back at full pay, gaps in treatment, a low rating you never challenged, and pre-existing-condition arguments you left unanswered. The doctor who assigns your rating matters enormously — and in Florida the carrier usually picked that doctor. Read why in our guide to choosing your own workers’ comp doctor in Florida.
What do attorney fees cost? (Less than doing it alone usually does)
Florida caps workers’ comp attorney fees by statute (§ 440.34): generally 20% of the first $5,000 in benefits secured, 15% of the next $5,000, and 10% after that, with a judge’s approval required — and after the Florida Supreme Court’s Castellanos decision, fees must be reasonable rather than rigidly capped when the carrier forces unnecessary litigation. Fees come out of benefits your lawyer actually obtains — not benefits the carrier was already paying voluntarily.
Settling a workers’ comp case in St. Petersburg
Pinellas County claims are litigated through the Office of the Judges of Compensation Claims — with a district office right here in St. Petersburg — and every settlement of a represented worker’s claim gets reviewed there. Our firm has handled workers’ compensation cases in St. Petersburg for four decades, across the industries that drive Pinellas injuries: healthcare, hospitality, construction, and marine work. Before you accept any number, know what the chart says your claim is worth — then know what the chart leaves out. Start with our companion guide, How Much Does Workers’ Comp Pay in Florida? (2026 rates), or visit our St. Petersburg workers’ compensation attorney page.
How do workers’ comp fees compare with injury case fees? See how much lawyers take from a settlement in Florida.
Being asked to resign as part of a settlement? First read can you be fired while on workers’ comp in Florida.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average workers’ comp settlement in Florida?
Most routine Florida claims settle in the $20,000–$40,000 range, minor claims for a few thousand, and cases involving surgery or permanent total disability well into six figures. Averages mean little, though — your number is driven by your wage, rating, and future medical costs, not anyone else’s.
Is there an official Florida chart that values each body part?
No. Unlike some states, Florida has no scheduled body-part dollar list. Benefits come from the impairment-rating formula in § 440.15(3), and lump-sum settlements are negotiated on top of it.
Does surgery increase a settlement?
Usually, yes — both because it raises impairment ratings and because a recommended-but-not-yet-performed surgery represents future medical cost the carrier wants off its books.
Do I have to quit my job to settle?
Not as a matter of law, but carriers frequently require a voluntary resignation as a settlement term. That’s negotiable — and worth negotiating.
Is a Florida workers’ comp settlement taxable?
Generally no — workers’ compensation benefits are not taxable under federal law. One caveat: if you also receive SSDI, a workers’ comp offset can make a portion of your SSDI taxable, so structure matters.
How long after MMI can I settle?
Settlement talks can happen at any point, but leverage typically peaks after MMI, when your rating, restrictions, and future medical needs are documented. Most cases that settle do so at or after mediation.
What is the 2026 maximum compensation rate?
$1,358 per week for injuries in 2026 (minimum $20), set annually by the Florida Department of Financial Services. Your cap is based on your injury year, not the current year.
Get your real number — free
A chart can’t see your medical file. Call (727) 347-7733 or send us a message for a free consultation with a St. Petersburg workers’ comp attorney. No fee unless we win.
Before you sign a settlement, have a St. Petersburg workers’ comp lawyer at Jorgensen Law, P.A. The consultation is free, and you pay no attorney fee unless we recover money for you. Call (727) 347-7733.
Legally reviewed by Sharon P. Jorgensen, Esq., Founder
