Payout Workers' Compensation Body Parts Chart: How to Estimate Your Settlement, Impairment Ratings, and State Differences

Estimated reading time: 18 minutes

Key Takeaways

• A payout workers' compensation body parts chart is a reference many states use to assign a set number of weeks (or percentage of whole-person impairment) to each body part, which becomes the basis for calculating permanent partial disability benefits.

• Charts vary by state and are only one piece of the puzzle. Your impairment rating, wage rate, medical evidence, and whether the injury is “scheduled” or “whole person” all affect your final payout.

• Official codes and schedules (like WCIO and state body-part tables) standardize reporting and values, but they do not guarantee a settlement amount.

• You can review public schedules and reputable guides to understand ranges, but your own medical rating and work impact determine how a chart applies to you.

• Deadlines and documentation matter. Report, treat, and preserve evidence early to protect benefits and avoid common insurer tactics that reduce payouts.

Table of Contents

• Introduction

• What Is a Workers’ Comp Body Parts Chart?

• Scheduled Loss vs. Whole-Person Impairment

• Impairment Ratings and Doctors

• How Payouts Are Calculated From Charts

• State Schedules, Weeks, and Wage Rates

• Example Payouts by Body Part

• State-by-State Differences

• South Carolina Example

• North Carolina’s Approach

• Mississippi and Whole-Person Impairment

• Illinois: Schedule of Weeks

• Coding Systems and Claims Data

• How to Read and Use Body Part Charts

• When Charts Don’t Tell the Whole Story

• Evidence That Influences Your Rating

• Common Mistakes and Insurance Tactics

• Timelines and Why Urgency Matters

• Settlement Options and Tradeoffs

• Conclusion

• FAQ

• What is a workers’ comp body parts chart?

• Are body part charts the same in every state?

• How do impairment ratings affect payouts?

• Where can I see my state’s schedule?

• When should I talk to a lawyer about my body-part payout?

Introduction

If you’re recovering from a work injury and searching for a payout workers' compensation body parts chart, you’re not alone. These charts—sometimes called “schedule of losses” or “PPD schedules”—offer a structured way to estimate compensation for permanent impairment to a specific body part. They can help you understand why an arm injury pays differently than a hand or a knee, and why two people with similar injuries may still end up with different settlement numbers.

We know this is stressful. You want to know what your case is worth so you can plan for bills, recovery, and returning to work. This guide explains how body part charts work, how doctors convert medical findings into ratings, how states differ, and how to use charts wisely without leaving money on the table.

What Is a Workers’ Comp Body Parts Chart?

A body parts chart lists specific body parts and assigns each a value—often a maximum number of “weeks” of compensation for a total loss or 100% impairment. Many states publish their own schedules. Private guides also illustrate typical values by part to help injured workers visualize what a “scheduled loss” might pay. For example, an accessible workers compensation body part value chart shows commonly scheduled parts like arms, legs, and hands to illustrate how these values can drive payouts.

These charts are not a guarantee. They are a framework that must be applied to your facts: your wage, your impairment percentage, your work restrictions, and any state-specific rules that increase or reduce the payout.

Scheduled Loss vs. Whole-Person Impairment

In scheduled-loss systems, each part has a fixed value in weeks. In whole-person systems, the focus is the percentage loss to the entire body rather than a specific part. Many states blend these ideas depending on the injury. A helpful primer explains that most charts list body parts with a maximum number of weeks for complete impairment, which is then adjusted by your rating and wage rate; see this comprehensive guide to workers’ comp settlement charts for how schedules typically operate.

Impairment Ratings and Doctors

After you reach maximum medical improvement (MMI), a doctor assigns an impairment rating. That rating is usually expressed as a percentage of the scheduled part or your whole person, depending on your jurisdiction. A detailed overview of how ratings tie to body-part payouts notes that these charts “serve as a guide” to determine compensation based on both the affected part and the severity; see permanent partial disability ratings by body part for context on how ratings interact with charts.

How Payouts Are Calculated From Charts

Every state has its own formula, but a common approach looks like this: scheduled weeks for the body part × your impairment percentage × your compensation rate (often tied to two-thirds of your average weekly wage, up to a cap). If your shoulder is valued at 200 weeks and you have a 20% impairment with a compensation rate of $600, the base benefit might be 200 × 0.20 × $600 = $24,000 (before adjustments for offsets, credits, or other factors).

Industry explainers emphasize that charts help estimate, not promise, a number. A current overview of “body part prices” notes that averages vary widely by part and severity, underscoring why your specific rating matters; see the survey of average workers’ comp settlement prices by body part for perspective on common ranges across injuries and states.

State Schedules, Weeks, and Wage Rates

Some states publish clear schedules with the number of weeks per part, and calculating the payout then becomes arithmetic once you have your rating and compensation rate. For instance, South Carolina makes it easy to see how rates and body-part values interact through a public tool; review the South Carolina workers’ compensation settlement calculator to see how weekly rates and scheduled weeks can translate into dollar estimates.

Other states publish a formal schedule document you can consult. Illinois provides a detailed Schedule of Body Parts in weeks for permanent partial disability, which shows the historical and current number of weeks per body part, emphasizing how legislative changes can alter values across time.

Example Payouts by Body Part

To visualize how a schedule works, look at neutral educational resources that break down common parts like hands, arms, legs, and eyes. A clear infographic-driven summary of a workers’ compensation body part value chart shows why, for example, a hand might be worth fewer weeks than a whole arm, and why ratings on smaller parts often translate to lower totals than ratings on larger, weight-bearing joints.

Likewise, a practical overview explains how “payout workers comp settlement charts” break down payments by injury type and body part, useful for spotting broad differences without overgeneralizing; see this payout workers comp settlement chart explainer. Journal-style guides also caution that charts are best used to produce rough estimates—see how a workers’ comp settlement chart helps provide an accurate estimate only when combined with your rating, wage, and state rules.

State-by-State Differences

No two states calculate permanent partial disability exactly the same way. Some use strict schedules, others focus on whole-person impairment, and many allow different methods depending on the injury. The same injury can have different values across state lines, even before considering your wage and caps.

South Carolina Example

South Carolina’s schedule approach is straightforward once you have a rating. Tools like the South Carolina settlement calculator illustrate how combining scheduled weeks, your compensation rate, and your impairment percentage leads to an estimated payout. Still, your specific facts—work restrictions, ability to return, and additional benefits—can move an offer up or down.

North Carolina’s Approach

North Carolina provides several practitioner explanations showing that payouts turn on impairment severity, wages, and long-term impact—not just a single chart number. One overview stresses that NC settlements are calculated using multiple factors beyond a simple chart; see the NC Workers’ Compensation Settlement Chart explanation. Another firm-created chart “to help explain how much compensation you can expect for loss or impairment of different body parts” can be a helpful learning aid; review this North Carolina body-parts chart overview for context. A further guide emphasizes how numerical impairment ratings plug into NC payouts; see this NC workers comp settlement chart analysis on the role of ratings in settlement calculations.

Mississippi and Whole-Person Impairment

Some states focus more on whole-person impairment percentage and how that translates into a value. Mississippi practitioners explain that a “whole body impairment rating chart” guides how much you may receive, depending on the percentage loss; see this overview of the whole body impairment rating chart in Mississippi workers’ comp for perspective on how whole-person models impact payouts.

Illinois: Schedule of Weeks

Illinois exemplifies a classic schedule. The state’s permanent partial disability table spells out the “number of weeks” assigned to major parts (hand, arm, foot, leg, eye, etc.) across different time periods; you can examine the Illinois PPD schedule of body parts to see how a 100% rating is translated into weeks and then into a dollar amount based on the worker’s compensation rate.

Coding Systems and Claims Data

Beyond charts that drive payout math, states and carriers use standardized coding systems to identify injured body parts, nature of injury, and cause. The WCIO system is widely used by insurers and state agencies; their Injury Description Tables set the structure for consistent reporting of Part/Nature/Cause. State agencies also maintain code lists. Tennessee’s official Injury Class Codes page includes an extensive “List of Body Part,” showing how systems categorize skull, brain, ears, eyes, and more for uniform reporting.

California publishes multiple technical resources as well. The Division of Workers’ Compensation provides an EAMS body part codes list and a broader Body Parts Codes and Description table used in electronic data exchange. Other states also maintain reference tables; for example, Maryland’s CompHub provides a Primary Body Part key for reporting.

These coding resources are not payout charts by themselves. But they ensure your injury is documented consistently, which matters when applying the right schedule and rating to your claim.

How to Read and Use Body Part Charts

Think of a body parts chart as a calculator input, not the final answer. It tells you the “maximum value” for a 100% loss of a body part or the framework for a whole-person rating. Your doctor’s impairment percentage and your wage rate are what turn chart values into dollars.

To orient yourself, start with an educational overview of how charts list parts and weeks; this guide to settlement charts explains the building blocks. Then, compare how states in your region handle scheduled vs. whole-person injuries by scanning materials like the survey of body-part settlement averages and state examples (e.g., South Carolina’s calculator or Illinois’s PPD schedule). This gives you a realistic, state-specific frame for discussing your case with your medical provider and, if needed, a lawyer.

When Charts Don’t Tell the Whole Story

Charts typically address permanent partial disability money. They do not replace your rights to medical care, temporary disability while off work, or job protections. For a fuller picture of benefits beyond the chart, review what workers’ comp benefits can cover and how payouts fit within the broader claim.

They also do not include pain and suffering, which workers’ comp generally does not pay. If you are in California and wondering about emotional distress and related options, this focused guide explains the limits and exceptions: pain and suffering in California workers’ comp.

Finally, charts don’t automatically factor in long-term work impact, return-to-work issues, or whether it is smarter to keep medical benefits open rather than take a lump sum. For help comparing settlement offers to ongoing benefits, see our overview of the average workers’ comp settlement and how it’s calculated and the transition from temporary disability to permanent disability.

Evidence That Influences Your Rating

Your impairment rating—and therefore your chart-based payout—rises or falls with your medical evidence. Timely exams, accurate symptom reporting, and objective testing all matter. For hearing injuries, for example, an audiogram is key; learn what proof typically supports a workers’ comp hearing loss claim. For desk-based repetitive injuries, ergonomic evaluations and nerve studies may support a rating; see our guide to ergonomic injury work compensation.

Some injuries develop over time. If your condition was caused by repetitive motion or long-term exposure, documentation of job duties and timelines helps establish a cumulative trauma claim; review our cumulative trauma workers’ comp guide. If you had a prior injury, be ready to show how work worsened it—proof of aggravation is critical; see pre-existing conditions and workers’ comp for common issues and evidence tips.

In California, disputes over ratings and care often involve the QME/IMR process. Understanding how to prepare for an evaluation can protect your rating; see what a QME is in workers’ comp and how the process works.

Common Mistakes and Insurance Tactics

Small errors can shrink a chart-based payout. Delaying care, missing follow-up appointments, or downplaying symptoms can lead to a lower impairment rating. Insurers also use surveillance and social media to challenge claims. Learn how posts and photos can be misused in claims from our guide on the impact of social media on workers’ comp cases.

Carriers may also question whether your injury was work-related, blame a pre-existing condition, or push quick, low settlements before full MMI. Understanding common denial reasons can help you respond; see why employers and insurers deny or delay workers’ comp and how to counter with documentation.

Timelines and Why Urgency Matters

Deadlines vary by state, but they are always important. Reporting your injury, filing a claim, and attending medical appointments on time protect your rights and your future payout. Start with the core steps to preserve benefits in our guide on what to do right after a work injury and the step-by-step claim filing process. Then, check the time limits to report and file so you don’t miss a critical deadline.

If your situation changes after settlement or closure, some states allow reopening for a worsening condition or new symptoms. Knowing the rules early can preserve options later; see how reopenings work in our focused guidance on reopening a California claim.

Settlement Options and Tradeoffs

Even with a body parts chart, you may face choices: take a lump-sum settlement or continue weekly payments and open medical. Deciding often turns on your ongoing treatment needs, risk of future surgery, and work prospects. Compare how settlements are calculated and the pros and cons in this guide to average workers’ comp settlements and how the transition from temporary to permanent benefits usually works in temporary vs. permanent disability.

Return-to-work plans also influence outcomes. Modified duty, wage loss, and vocational rehab can change what a fair resolution looks like. If you are navigating restrictions or uncertain job duties, see practical steps in return to work after an injury. If you’re wondering whether professional help makes sense for your situation, this overview of what a workers’ compensation lawyer does and when to hire one can help you weigh the decision.

Conclusion

A payout workers’ compensation body parts chart can make a confusing process feel more concrete. By showing the maximum value of each body part—or the framework for whole-person ratings—it helps you estimate the permanent partial disability component of your claim. But charts are only one piece. Your doctor’s impairment rating, your wage rate, your ongoing medical needs, and your state’s rules will shape your actual outcome.

Use charts to ask better questions: What is my impairment rating and how was it measured? Which schedule applies to my injury? Do my work restrictions suggest additional benefits or a different valuation method? Does a lump sum make sense if I may need future treatment? Pair chart-based estimates with strong medical evidence, timely filings, and a clear understanding of your state’s procedures to protect your recovery and benefits.

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FAQ

What is a workers’ comp body parts chart?

It is a schedule that assigns a value—often a maximum number of weeks of benefits—to specific body parts. Your doctor’s impairment rating and your compensation rate convert those “weeks” into dollars. For an illustrated overview, review a workers’ compensation body part value chart and a primer on how settlement charts list parts and weeks.

Are body part charts the same in every state?

No. States use different schedules and formulas. Compare examples like South Carolina’s calculator and Illinois’s PPD schedule to see how values and methods vary. North Carolina materials also show how ratings and wages drive outcomes, such as the NC settlement chart explainer and rating-focused analysis.

How do impairment ratings affect payouts?

Ratings translate medical loss into a percentage of the scheduled part (or your whole person). The higher the rating—supported by exams and tests—the larger the payout under the schedule. See how ratings interact with charts in this overview of permanent partial disability ratings by body part. Protect your rating by following medical advice and, in California, understanding the QME process.

Where can I see my state’s schedule?

Check your state’s workers’ compensation agency website or review practitioner resources. Examples include Illinois’s Schedule of Body Parts and South Carolina’s calculator. For coding frameworks that support reporting, consult WCIO’s Injury Description Tables and, for California, the EAMS body part codes and Body Parts Codes and Description.

When should I talk to a lawyer about my body-part payout?

Consider getting help if your rating seems too low, your claim is denied or delayed, you have pre-existing conditions, or you are debating a settlement versus ongoing benefits. Learn what a workers’ compensation lawyer can do and when to hire one, and read why denials happen so you can respond effectively.