California rates permanent disability as a percentage (AMA Guides impairment adjusted for age and occupation), converts it to weeks through a tiered statutory table: 3 weeks per point for the first 9.75%, rising to 16 weeks per point above 70%, and pays those weeks at a capped $290/week PD rate.
Example: a 20% PD rating = (9.75 × 3) + (5 × 4) + (5.25 × 5) ≈ 75.5 weeks × $290 = about $21,900. Note the quiet scandal: the PD rate caps at $290/week regardless of your wage. California's TTD max is $1,764, but permanent disability pays a sixth of that.
The generic weeks-based calculator doesn't map cleanly onto California's system, so rather than show you a misleading number, this page gives you the real formula and current rates below. The worked example above shows exactly how to run your own.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| PD weekly rate | $160 min – $290 max (Lab. Code §4453; not wage-indexed) |
| TTD weekly maximum (2026) | $1,764.11 |
| Weeks per PD point | 3 (≤9.75%) · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 16 (70%+), cumulative (§4658) |
| Attorney fees | WCAB-approved, normally 9–12% (up to 15% in complex cases) |
A comp settlement trades future benefits for a lump sum. Three checks first: does the settlement close your future medical rights (a fair-looking number can be terrible if it does)? Is your impairment rating solid, given that insurer doctors rate low and you can usually challenge with an independent exam? And was anyone besides your employer involved, because a third-party claim pays pain and suffering that comp never does.
California rates permanent disability as a percentage (AMA Guides impairment adjusted for age and occupation), converts it to weeks through a tiered statutory table: 3 weeks per point for the first 9.75%, rising to 16 weeks per point above 70%, and pays those weeks at a capped $290/week PD rate. Settlements then negotiate around that formula number, down for present-value and disputed ratings, up when the insurer wants to close future medical exposure.
PD weekly rate: $160 min – $290 max (Lab. Code §4453; not wage-indexed) · TTD weekly maximum (2026): $1,764.11 · Weeks per PD point: 3 (≤9.75%) · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 16 (70%+), cumulative (§4658) · Attorney fees: WCAB-approved, normally 9–12% (up to 15% in complex cases)
Not your employer, in most cases, because comp is the exclusive remedy. But if anyone else contributed to the injury (a negligent driver, a defective machine's manufacturer, a subcontractor), a third-party claim can pay full damages including pain and suffering, alongside the comp claim. That's the most commonly missed money in work-injury cases.
WCAB-approved, normally 9–12% (up to 15% in complex cases)
The multiplier method with California's fault rule and deadlines applied.
Open →The generic scheduled-award formula with the federal reference schedule.
Open →Comp vs. third-party claims, and where the missed money usually is.
Open →