Colorado splits comp into two very different tracks: scheduled extremity injuries paid at a flat $438.33/week for fixed weeks, versus whole-person impairment paid as rating × age factor × 400 weeks × your TTD rate — worth several times more for the same injury.
Example: a 15% whole-person rating for a 40-year-old at a $1,000 TTD rate ≈ 0.15 × age factor (~1.0) × 400 weeks × $767.47 (capped weekly rate) ≈ $46,000. The same injury classified as 'scheduled' would pay a fraction of that — the classification fight is the case.
The generic weeks-based calculator doesn't map cleanly onto Colorado'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 |
|---|---|
| TTD weekly maximum (7/2025–6/2026) | $1,396.85 |
| Scheduled injury rate | $438.33/week (flat) |
| Whole-person weekly cap | $767.47 |
| PPD combined caps | $192,997 (rating ≤19%) · $312,968 (≥20%) |
| Attorney fees | Contingent fee above 25% presumed unreasonable (C.R.S. §8-43-403) |
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.
Colorado splits comp into two very different tracks: scheduled extremity injuries paid at a flat $438.33/week for fixed weeks, versus whole-person impairment paid as rating × age factor × 400 weeks × your TTD rate — worth several times more for the same injury. Settlements then negotiate around that formula number — down for present-value and disputed ratings, up when the insurer wants to close future medical exposure.
TTD weekly maximum (7/2025–6/2026): $1,396.85 · Scheduled injury rate: $438.33/week (flat) · Whole-person weekly cap: $767.47 · PPD combined caps: $192,997 (rating ≤19%) · $312,968 (≥20%) · Attorney fees: Contingent fee above 25% presumed unreasonable (C.R.S. §8-43-403)
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.
Contingent fee above 25% presumed unreasonable (C.R.S. §8-43-403)
The multiplier method with Colorado'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 →