Utah Workers’ Compensation Payout Data Report (2026)

The average workers’ compensation claim in Utah costs $8,102 across all claim types, according to the NCCI Annual Statistical Bulletin 2026, Exhibit 11. That figure drops to $1,507 for medical-only claims and rises to $40,717 for lost-time claims — the category most injured workers fall into once they miss more than a few days of work. Fatal claims average $476,066. Utah’s all-claims average is 48.6% below the national average of $15,761 (NCCI ASB 2026), a gap driven primarily by lower prevailing wages and a claims environment shaped by Utah’s no-fault, administrative-first system.

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Utah Workers’ Comp Claim Cost Data (2026)

The table below presents average total cost per workers’ compensation claim in Utah, broken down by claim type. “Total cost” includes indemnity (wage replacement) payments plus all medical costs, as reported by NCCI.

Claim Type	Average Total Cost (Utah)
All Claims (combined)	$8,102
Medical-Only Claims	$1,507
Temporary Total Disability (TTD)	$25,300
Permanent Partial Disability (PPD)	$73,013
Permanent Total Disability (PTD)	$374,604
Lost-Time Claims (all lost-time)	$40,717
Fatal Claims	$476,066

Source: NCCI Annual Statistical Bulletin 2026, Exhibit 11. Data reflects Utah policy year experience. “Average total cost per case” includes indemnity and medical payments combined.

These numbers are not settlement guarantees — they are actuarial averages across thousands of claims, including claims that settled quickly for small amounts and claims that litigated for years. Your individual claim will be shaped by factors specific to your injury, your pre-injury wage, and how your case is managed. See Section 4 for how to use this data correctly.

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How Utah Compares to the National Average

Utah’s average workers’ comp claim cost of $8,102 is 48.6% below the national average of $15,761 (NCCI ASB 2026). That gap is significant and not fully explained by wage differences alone. Utah’s Industrial Accidents Division operates an administrative dispute resolution process that tends to resolve claims faster than court-based systems, which can hold down legal cost escalation. Utah also has a relatively young workforce and strong safety culture in certain industries — factors that influence claim frequency and severity.

However, averages can obscure the real story. When you look at specific injury categories and compare Utah to national benchmarks published in the NSC Injury Facts 2024 (citing NCCI), the picture becomes more nuanced. The table below uses national benchmarks as a comparison layer — Utah-specific breakdowns by injury type are not published at the injury-category level by NCCI in their public releases, so national figures serve as the most reliable benchmark for evaluating what your injury type typically costs.

Injury / Accident Category	National Average (NSC/NCCI)	Utah All-Claims Average	Notes
All Claims	$47,316	$8,102	Utah figure is all-claims avg per NCCI ASB 2026
Amputation	$125,058	—	National benchmark; Utah-specific not published
Head / CNS Injuries	$90,043	—	National benchmark
Motor Vehicle Accidents	$91,433	—	National benchmark
Neck Injuries	$70,575	—	National benchmark
Fractures / Crush / Dislocation	$66,467	—	National benchmark
Leg Injuries	$61,977	—	National benchmark
Arm / Shoulder Injuries	$55,115	—	National benchmark
Falls / Slips	$54,499	—	National benchmark
Multiple Body Parts	$77,614	—	National benchmark
Burns	$64,973	—	National benchmark

Sources: NSC Injury Facts 2024, citing NCCI. National averages represent costs across all states. Utah’s all-claims figure from NCCI Annual Statistical Bulletin 2026, Exhibit 11.

What this means practically: If you suffered an amputation in Utah, the national average for that injury type is $125,058. Utah’s overall claim costs run below national norms, but catastrophic injury categories tend to converge toward national figures because medical costs for surgeries, prosthetics, and long-term rehabilitation are less regionally variable than wage-replacement costs. An injured worker evaluating a settlement offer on an amputation claim should not anchor to Utah’s $8,102 all-claims average — that number is dominated by low-cost medical-only claims and minor TTD cases.

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Utah Benefit Rate Schedule (2026)

Utah workers’ compensation benefits are governed by the Utah Labor Commission, Industrial Accidents Division, under Utah Code Annotated Title 34A, Chapter 2. The benefit structure below reflects 2026 parameters. Note: Utah’s maximum weekly TTD rate is adjusted periodically — verify the current figure directly with the Utah Labor Commission at laborcommission.utah.gov before using it in any claim calculation.

Benefit Type	Wage Replacement Rate	Maximum Weekly Benefit	Minimum Weekly Benefit	Notes
Temporary Total Disability (TTD)	66.67% of AWW	Verify current max with Utah LC	No statutory minimum specified	Begins after 3-day waiting period; retroactive if disability exceeds 14 days
Temporary Partial Disability (TPD)	66.67% of wage difference	Same cap as TTD	No statutory minimum specified	Applies when worker returns at reduced earnings
Permanent Partial Disability (PPD)	Scheduled per Utah Code § 34A-2-413	Varies by body part / impairment rating	—	Based on AMA Guides impairment rating; scheduled and non-scheduled injuries
Permanent Total Disability (PTD)	66.67% of AWW	Verify current max with Utah LC	—	Payable for life in qualifying cases
Death / Fatal Claims	Varies by dependent status	—	—	Burial expenses plus wage-replacement to dependents

Source: Utah Code Annotated §§ 34A-2-410, 34A-2-413, 34A-2-418. Utah Labor Commission, Industrial Accidents Division: https://laborcommission.utah.gov/divisions/industrial-accidents/

Average Weekly Wage (AWW) note: Your AWW is calculated based on your wages during the 13 weeks immediately preceding your injury. This figure is the foundation of every benefit calculation — an error in AWW calculation directly reduces every dollar of indemnity you receive. Request the employer’s wage statement and verify the math yourself.

The 3-day waiting period: Utah requires a 3-day waiting period before TTD benefits begin. Those first three days are compensable retroactively if your disability lasts 14 days or more. If you return to work before day 14, you will not receive payment for those first three days — a detail many injured workers discover only after the fact.

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What These Numbers Mean for Your Claim

Here is what I wish someone had told me before I accepted my first workers’ comp settlement.

When I got my settlement offer in 2019 — after my second on-the-job injury — the claims adjuster presented it framed around “what claims like yours typically resolve for.” The number sounded reasonable until I understood what she wasn’t saying: the averages she was referencing included thousands of minor claims, quick medical-only resolutions, and injured workers who had no idea what their claim was actually worth. The average was being used as a ceiling, not a floor.

Here is how to use the NCCI data correctly:

Step 1: Identify your claim type. A medical-only claim averaging $1,507 is fundamentally different from a permanent partial disability claim averaging $73,013. Make sure you are comparing your claim to the right category — not the all-claims average of $8,102.

Step 2: Understand what “average” includes. The NCCI average cost per case includes claims that were denied, claims that settled on day two, and claims that exhausted every benefit available. The distribution is not a bell curve — it is heavily right-skewed, meaning a small number of high-cost claims pull the average up. The median (middle) claim cost is substantially lower than the mean (average). If an insurance company quotes you the average, ask about the distribution.

Step 3: Know your AWW cold. Every dollar of benefit you receive is a function of your average weekly wage. If your AWW is understated by $100, and you receive TTD for 26 weeks, you have lost $1,733.82 in benefits you were owed. Verify the number.

Step 4: Future medical costs are not reflected in the settlement average. When a claim “settles,” it often includes a Medicare Set-Aside or a waiver of future medical benefits. The NCCI average cost figure reflects costs that were actually paid — it does not project what your future medical needs are worth. A shoulder injury that requires a second surgery five years from now is worth far more than what the average shoulder claim paid to date.

The insurance company’s information advantage is real. They have access to millions of claims. You have access to one — yours. Narrowing that gap is exactly why I built this resource.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average workers’ comp settlement in Utah?

The average total cost per workers’ compensation claim in Utah is $8,102 across all claim types, according to the NCCI Annual Statistical Bulletin 2026, Exhibit 11. However, this all-claims average is heavily weighted by medical-only claims, which average just $1,507 and represent the majority of filed claims by volume. For injured workers who actually miss work — the population most people picture when they ask this question — the relevant number is the lost-time claim average of $40,717. For permanent partial disability claims specifically, the average rises to $73,013.

“Settlement” and “average claim cost” are related but not identical concepts. NCCI’s “average total cost per case” reflects all indemnity and medical payments made on a claim through its life — whether that claim was settled via a lump sum, paid out over time, or litigated to a hearing. A negotiated lump-sum settlement is one path to claim resolution; others include structured payment of weekly benefits through recovery. The settlement value of your specific claim will depend on your injury severity, your pre-injury average weekly wage, your impairment rating (for PPD claims), whether you have future medical needs, and whether liability is disputed. Use the NCCI data as an orientation point, not an endpoint.

One important caution: Utah’s all-claims average of $8,102 is 48.6% below the national average of $15,761 (NCCI ASB 2026). If you are comparing your situation to national data you find elsewhere online, you need to apply a Utah-specific lens. Lower average wages in certain industries and Utah’s administrative dispute resolution environment both contribute to this gap.

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How long does a workers’ comp claim take in Utah?

Claim duration in Utah depends heavily on claim type and whether liability is disputed. Medical-only claims with a clear mechanism of injury and no dispute can be resolved in weeks. Lost-time claims with permanent disability components routinely take 12 to 36 months from date of injury to final resolution.

Utah’s Industrial Accidents Division (IAD) uses an administrative hearing process rather than the civil court system for disputed claims. This generally produces faster resolutions than states with court-based workers’ comp systems — but “faster” is relative. An expedited hearing before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) at the IAD can still take 6 to 18 months from the filing of a Request for Agency Action to a final order, particularly if the dispute involves complex medical questions requiring independent medical examinations (IMEs).

Key timelines to know: The statute of limitations in Utah is 3 years from the date of injury (or last medical treatment or benefit payment) — miss this window and you lose your right to file. Insurers have 21 days to accept or deny a claim after receiving notice of injury under Utah Code § 34A-2-407. TTD benefits, once accepted, are payable on the employer’s regular payday schedule. The 3-year statute of limitations clock does not pause while benefits are being voluntarily paid — a nuance that can catch workers off guard if benefits stop and they delay filing a formal application.

If your claim involves a disputed permanent impairment rating or a disagreement about whether your condition is work-related, budget for a longer timeline and consult with a workers’ comp attorney about the hearing process.

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What factors affect my workers’ comp settlement amount in Utah?

Six factors drive the vast majority of variation in workers’ comp settlement values in Utah:

1. Injury severity and impairment rating. For permanent partial disability (PPD) claims, Utah uses the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment to assign a whole-person or body-part impairment rating. This rating directly determines the number of weeks of PPD benefits owed for scheduled injuries. A 5% whole-person impairment claim and a 25% whole-person impairment claim have dramatically different values.

2. Average weekly wage (AWW). Your benefit rate is 66.67% of your AWW. A worker earning $900/week and a worker earning $1,800/week with identical injuries receive very different weekly benefit amounts — and their settlement values reflect that disparity.

3. Future medical needs. If your injury requires future surgeries, physical therapy, or pain management, those projected costs are a major component of settlement value. Insurers will often want to close out future medical exposure in a lump-sum settlement. Make sure any future medical waiver is priced appropriately.

4. Causation disputes. If the insurer argues your condition is pre-existing, degenerative, or not work-related, you face a disputed liability situation. These cases often settle at a discount to full value because of litigation risk — but the right attorney can often recover far more than the initial offer.

5. Return-to-work status. Whether you have returned to work, at what wage, and whether you have permanent work restrictions all affect TTD duration and the value of any wage-loss component.

6. Legal representation. Research consistently shows that represented claimants recover more in workers’ comp proceedings than unrepresented claimants, even after attorney fees. The NCCI data reflects aggregate outcomes across both represented and unrepresented claims.

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How do I know if my settlement offer is fair?

Start with the data in this report, then work backward from your specific claim facts. Here is the framework I use when evaluating whether a workers’ comp settlement offer makes sense.

Check the category. If you have a PPD claim, the Utah average is $73,013. If your offer is $18,000 for a documented permanent impairment, you need a specific, articulable reason why your claim falls at the low end of the distribution — not just an adjuster’s assurance that “this is what we pay.”

Verify your AWW. Pull your last 13 weeks of wage records and calculate your AWW independently. If the insurer’s AWW figure is wrong, every calculation built on it is wrong.

Price future medical care. Request a written projection of your likely future medical costs from your treating physician. If you have a chronic condition — a surgically repaired spine, a significant burn, an amputated digit — those future costs are real and should appear in your settlement.

Understand what you are giving up. A “full and final” settlement in Utah typically closes out both indemnity and medical benefits permanently. You are not just settling what has been paid to date — you are releasing future claims. Make sure the offer reflects that.

Compare to the national injury-type benchmarks. A Utah motor vehicle accident claim worth $91,433 nationally (NSC Injury Facts 2024) does not automatically mean your Utah MVA claim is worth that — but it tells you the range is plausible for serious injuries and gives you a basis to push back on a lowball offer.

When in doubt, consult an attorney for a case evaluation before signing anything. Most Utah workers’ comp attorneys offer free consultations.

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Should I hire a workers’ comp attorney in Utah?

For medical-only claims that are accepted without dispute, attorney representation is often unnecessary — the system can function as intended without it. For any claim involving lost wages, permanent impairment, disputed liability, or a settlement offer, the calculus changes significantly.

Utah workers’ comp attorneys work on contingency — they take a percentage of your recovery, with fees regulated by the Utah Labor Commission. You pay nothing upfront. The practical question is not whether you can afford an attorney; it is whether the value an attorney adds exceeds their fee. In most disputed or permanent-impairment cases, the answer is yes.

The areas where representation consistently makes the biggest difference in Utah: impairment rating disputes (an independent IME obtained by your attorney can result in a significantly higher rating than the employer’s IME); AWW calculation errors (attorneys catch these routinely); causation disputes where a pre-existing condition is being used to deny or reduce your claim; and settlement negotiation, where attorneys have access to comparative claim data and hearing outcomes that unrepresented workers do not.

Utah has a relatively worker-friendly administrative system compared to some states, but “worker-friendly” does not mean “automatically fair.” Insurance companies employ experienced adjusters and defense counsel whose job is to manage claim costs. Matching that expertise with your own representation is not a sign that your claim is adversarial — it is a sign that you understand the process. The Utah State Bar’s referral service and the Utah Labor Commission’s website both provide resources for finding qualified workers’ comp counsel.

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Data Sources and Methodology

Primary Sources

NCCI Annual Statistical Bulletin 2026, Exhibit 11
National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI). Annual Statistical Bulletin, 2026 Edition, Exhibit 11: Average Cost Per Case by State and Injury Type. Boca Raton, FL: NCCI Holdings, Inc., 2026. NCCI is the licensed statistical agent for Utah workers’ compensation data. Exhibit 11 reports average total cost per case — the sum of indemnity payments and medical payments — across policy years, reflecting actuarially developed ultimate costs. Data reflects Utah-specific experience. Available to NCCI members and licensed data subscribers; summary data cited in this report is publicly available in NCCI’s annual summary releases.

NSC Injury Facts 2024
National Safety Council. Injury Facts 2024 Edition. Itasca, IL: National Safety Council, 2024. The injury-type cost benchmarks cited in this report (amputation, head/CNS, falls, etc.) are drawn from NSC Injury Facts 2024, which cites NCCI as the underlying data source. National figures represent cost averages across all NCCI-reporting states and serve as benchmarks where Utah-specific injury-type breakdowns are not publicly available.

Utah Labor Commission, Industrial Accidents Division
https://laborcommission.utah.gov/divisions/industrial-accidents/
The official regulatory body for workers’ compensation in Utah. Benefit rates, statutory references, and procedural information in this report are drawn from Utah Code Annotated Title 34A, Chapter 2, as administered by the Industrial Accidents Division. Readers should verify current maximum weekly benefit rates directly with the Division, as rates are adjusted periodically.

What “Average Cost Per Case” Means — and Its Limitations

NCCI’s “average total cost per case” is an actuarially developed figure representing the mean total expenditure — indemnity plus medical — across all claims in a given category, developed to ultimate (i.e., projected to include costs not yet paid at time of reporting). It is not the same as a “typical settlement” or a “median payout.”

Key limitations to understand:

1. Mean vs. median: The distribution of claim costs is heavily right-skewed. A small number of catastrophic claims pull the mean significantly above the median. Most claims cost less than the reported average.

2. All-claims averaging: The “all claims” average of $8,102 aggregates medical-only claims (which are high-frequency, low-cost) with permanent disability and fatal claims (which are low-frequency, high-cost). Comparing a serious lost-time claim to the all-claims average is a category error.

3. No fault or settlement structure information: The NCCI figure does not distinguish between claims resolved quickly through voluntary payment, claims litigated to a hearing, and claims settled via structured agreements. It is a cost figure, not a settlement figure.

4. Geographic and industry variation within the state: A construction worker in Salt Lake County and a retail worker in rural Utah are both included in Utah’s statewide average. Industry, occupation, and wage level all create within-state variation that the published average does not capture.

5. Lag in data: Policy year data is developed over multiple years as claims mature. The 2026 ASB reflects experience from prior policy years projected forward — not calendar year 2026 payments.

Use these figures as informed orientation points, not as precise predictors of your claim’s value.

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This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Workers’ compensation laws, benefit rates, and claim procedures change frequently. The data presented in this report reflects published sources available as of the date noted; always verify current figures with the Utah Labor Commission, Industrial Accidents Division, and consult a licensed Utah workers’ compensation attorney for advice specific to your situation. Shane Good is not an attorney. WorkCompWiki.com does not create an attorney-client relationship with any reader.