Iowa uses a body-part schedule at two-thirds of wages with one of the nation's highest maximums ($2,237/week PPD): scheduled weeks × your rating. Unscheduled injuries run against 500 weeks.
Iowa's schedule per §85.34(2), paid at two-thirds of wages capped at $2,237/week (7/2026–6/2027).
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| PPD weekly maximum (7/2026–6/2027) | $2,237 |
| TTD weekly maximum (7/2026–6/2027) | $2,431 |
| Schedule (weeks) | Arm 250 · Hand 190 · Leg 220 · Foot 150 · Eye 140 · Shoulder 400 · Whole body 500 |
| Attorney fees | Commissioner approval required, no percentage cap in the statute (Iowa Code §10A.327, renumbered from §86.39 by the 2023 Acts) |
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.
Iowa uses a body-part schedule at two-thirds of wages with one of the nation's highest maximums ($2,237/week PPD): scheduled weeks × your rating. Unscheduled injuries run against 500 weeks. Settlements then negotiate around that formula number, down for present-value and disputed ratings, up when the insurer wants to close future medical exposure.
PPD weekly maximum (7/2026–6/2027): $2,237 · TTD weekly maximum (7/2026–6/2027): $2,431 · Schedule (weeks): Arm 250 · Hand 190 · Leg 220 · Foot 150 · Eye 140 · Shoulder 400 · Whole body 500 · Attorney fees: Commissioner approval required, no percentage cap in the statute (Iowa Code §10A.327, renumbered from §86.39 by the 2023 Acts)
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.
Commissioner approval required, no percentage cap in the statute (Iowa Code §10A.327, renumbered from §86.39 by the 2023 Acts)