Interactive
New York workers' comp settlement calculator (Section 32)
There's no formula that spits out a settlement number — a Section 32 is negotiated. But every negotiation starts from one thing you can estimate: your remaining indemnity value. This tool estimates that starting point honestly, then explains what moves the final figure.
- A settlement's foundation is your indemnity value = weeks of benefits remaining × your weekly rate.
- Future medical is valued separately and added on top (a Medicare Set-Aside may apply).
- The actual Section 32 is a negotiated figure — often a discount off the full exposure — not a fixed calculation.
- Anyone quoting an "average settlement" is guessing — real numbers swing enormously by injury, wage, and medical need.
Estimate your indemnity value
Enter your wage, disability percentage, and how many weeks of benefits you have left. This is the cash (indemnity) basis a settlement negotiates from.
Where do "weeks remaining" come from? For a scheduled injury it's the Schedule Loss of Use weeks for that body part; for a classified case it's the LWEC cap (225–525 weeks) minus weeks already paid. Indemnity only — future medical is separate, offsets may apply, and the settlement itself is negotiated. Not legal or financial advice.
How a Section 32 settlement is actually valued
- Indemnity exposure — the weeks of wage benefits you're still owed × your weekly rate (what the calculator estimates).
- Future medical — the projected cost of ongoing treatment, added separately; if you're on or near Medicare, a Medicare Set-Aside may be required.
- The negotiation discount — the carrier pays a lump sum now to close the file, so the final number is usually less than the full theoretical exposure. How much less depends on the disputes in your case, your wage, your age, and the medical evidence.
| Scenario | Weeks | Weekly rate | Indemnity value |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25% loss of an arm (scheduled), $1,000 wage | 78 | $666.67 | $52,000 |
| Back, 30% LWEC (classified), $1,200 wage | 275 | $800.00 | $220,000 |
| 50% LWEC (classified), max rate | 350 | $1,222.42 | $427,847 |