Colorado splits comp into two very different tracks: scheduled extremity injuries paid at a flat $459.45/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 = 0.15 × the 1.40 age factor × 400 weeks = 84 weeks, paid at the TTD rate capped at $804.46 (50% of the state average weekly wage), so about $67,575. The age factor is statutory and runs from 1.80 at 20 or younger down to 1.00 at 60 and over, which means a 25-year-old collects more than a 60-year-old for the identical injury. The same injury classified as 'scheduled' would pay a fraction of either. 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. The worked example above shows exactly how to run your own.
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| TTD weekly maximum (7/2026–6/2027) | $1,464.12, 91% of the $1,608.91 state average weekly wage |
| Scheduled injury rate | $459.45/week (flat) |
| Whole-person weekly cap | $804.46 (floor $150.00) |
| PPD combined caps | $202,297.46 (rating ≤19%) · $328,049.94 (≥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, 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.
Colorado splits comp into two very different tracks: scheduled extremity injuries paid at a flat $459.45/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 (7/2026–6/2027): $1,464.12, 91% of the $1,608.91 state average weekly wage · Scheduled injury rate: $459.45/week (flat) · Whole-person weekly cap: $804.46 (floor $150.00) · PPD combined caps: $202,297.46 (rating ≤19%) · $328,049.94 (≥20%) · Attorney fees: Contingent fee above 25% presumed unreasonable (C.R.S. §8-43-403)
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.
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, and where the missed money usually is.
Open →