New York workers' comp glossary

Workers' comp runs on acronyms and legal terms of art. Here's every one that matters — AWW, SLU, LWEC, MMI, IME, §32 — in plain English, so the rest of this guide reads clearly.

Apportionment: Dividing responsibility for a disability between the work injury and a pre-existing or later condition.
Average Weekly WageAWW: Your gross pay (including overtime) averaged over the 52 weeks before the injury. It's the base for every cash benefit, and wages from a second job can be combined (WCL §14).
Controvert: When the insurer formally disputes your claim — by filing a Notice of Controversy — instead of paying it.
Date of Disablement: For an occupational disease, the controlling date — often first lost time or treatment — that starts the filing clock.
Independent Medical ExaminationIME: An exam by the insurer's own Board-registered doctor. You must attend, or you risk suspension of benefits (WCL §137).
Loss of Wage-Earning CapacityLWEC: For non-scheduled permanent injuries (back, neck, systemic), the percentage by which your ability to earn is permanently reduced. It caps how many weeks of benefits you can receive (225–525).
Maximum Medical ImprovementMMI: The point at which your condition has stabilized and isn't expected to improve further. Permanency is assessed at MMI.
Medical Treatment GuidelinesMTG: The Board's pre-authorized standards of care by body part. Treatment within the guidelines usually needs no prior approval.
New York State Insurance FundNYSIF: The state's public, not-for-profit insurer and the insurer of last resort — it must cover any employer that applies.
Notice of ComplianceC-105: The poster proving an employer carries coverage; it must be displayed at every worksite in English and Spanish.
Notice of Controversy: The filing an insurer uses to contest a claim; it must be filed within 25 days of the case being indexed by the Board.
OnBoard: The Board's online platform (since 2022) for filing, prior-authorization requests, and case management.
Permanent Partial DisabilityPPD: A permanent impairment that still leaves you able to do some work — either scheduled (SLU) or non-scheduled (LWEC-based).
Permanent Total DisabilityPTD: A permanent impairment that prevents any gainful work; pays two-thirds of your AWW for life.
Reduced-Earnings Benefits: Partial benefits — about two-thirds of the wage difference — paid when you return to work at lower pay because of the injury.
Schedule Loss of UseSLU: A fixed award for permanent loss, or loss of use, of a listed body part — arm, leg, hand, foot, finger, eye, or hearing — paid as a set number of weeks regardless of whether you returned to work.
Section 32 Settlement§32: A voluntary, Board-approved full-and-final settlement (often a lump sum) that closes some or all of a claim. You get 10 days to withdraw.
State Average Weekly WageSAWW: The statewide average wage New York publishes each year. The maximum weekly benefit equals two-thirds of it, which is why the cap rises every July 1.
Temporary Partial DisabilityTPD: You can do some work while recovering; the benefit scales with your medical disability percentage.
Temporary Total DisabilityTTD: You can't work at all while recovering; pays two-thirds of AWW, subject to the state maximum.
Third-Party Action§29: A lawsuit against someone other than your employer who caused the injury. The carrier holds a lien on the recovery, and you usually need its consent to settle.
Uninsured Employers FundUEF: Pays benefits to workers whose employer illegally carried no coverage, then pursues that employer for reimbursement and penalties.
Workers' Compensation Law JudgeWCLJ: The judge who holds hearings and decides disputed issues in a claim.

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