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 — and 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 — 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 — 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 — where the missed money usually is.
Open →