Wisconsin Workers’ Compensation Payout Data Report (2026)

The average total cost per workers’ compensation claim in Wisconsin is $14,501, according to the NCCI Annual Statistical Bulletin 2026, Exhibit 11. For lost-time claims — those serious enough to keep a worker off the job — that average rises to $52,660. Fatal claims average $290,854. These figures represent the combined cost of medical benefits and indemnity payments across all claim types. Wisconsin’s all-claims average sits 8.0% below the national average of $15,761 (NCCI ASB 2026), though serious injury categories track closely to national benchmarks and individual outcomes vary dramatically based on injury severity, employer cooperation, and legal representation.

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Wisconsin Workers’ Comp Claim Cost Data (2026)

The table below presents average total claim costs in Wisconsin by claim type, drawn from NCCI Annual Statistical Bulletin 2026, Exhibit 11. These figures represent the combined medical and indemnity costs averaged across all settled and open claims in the state.

Claim Type	Average Total Cost (WI)
All Claims (Combined)	$14,501
Medical-Only Claims	$2,588
Temporary Total Disability (TTD)	$16,837
Permanent Partial Disability (PPD)	$82,715
Permanent Total Disability (PTD)	$671,032
Lost-Time Claims (All)	$52,660
Fatal Claims	$290,854

Source: NCCI Annual Statistical Bulletin 2026, Exhibit 11. Figures represent the average total cost per case (medical + indemnity) for Wisconsin. Claims data is compiled from carriers writing workers’ compensation coverage in NCCI-administered states. Wisconsin is an NCCI state for statistical reporting purposes.

A critical note on these averages: The $14,501 all-claims figure is pulled down significantly by medical-only claims — which make up the majority of all filed claims and cost an average of just $2,588. If your injury resulted in lost time from work, the more relevant benchmark is $52,660 for lost-time claims. If you have a permanent impairment rating, look at the $82,715 PPD average. Using the wrong benchmark to evaluate your claim is one of the most common mistakes injured workers make.

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How Wisconsin Compares to the National Average

Wisconsin’s all-claims average of $14,501 is 8.0% below the national average of $15,761 (NCCI ASB 2026). That gap largely reflects differences in wage levels, medical cost geography, and claim management practices — not necessarily better or worse outcomes for injured workers. In fact, for the most serious injury categories, Wisconsin workers face cost exposures that closely mirror national figures.

The table below compares Wisconsin claim costs and national injury-type benchmarks side by side. Note that the national figures by injury type are drawn from NSC Injury Facts 2024 (citing NCCI data) and represent national averages; Wisconsin-specific breakdowns by body part and injury type are not separately published in the NCCI ASB at the state level.

Injury / Claim Category	Wisconsin Average	National Average	WI vs. National
All Claims (Combined)	$14,501	$15,761	−8.0%
Lost-Time Claims	$52,660	$47,316	+11.3%
Amputation	N/A (state-level)	$125,058	—
Head / CNS Injuries	N/A (state-level)	$90,043	—
Motor Vehicle Accidents	N/A (state-level)	$91,433	—
Multiple Body Parts	N/A (state-level)	$77,614	—
Fractures / Crush / Dislocation	N/A (state-level)	$66,467	—
Neck Injuries	N/A (state-level)	$70,575	—
Leg Injuries	N/A (state-level)	$61,977	—
Falls / Slips	N/A (state-level)	$54,499	—
Arm / Shoulder Injuries	N/A (state-level)	$55,115	—
Burns	N/A (state-level)	$64,973	—
Permanent Total Disability	$671,032	N/A (state-specific)	—
Fatal Claims	$290,854	N/A (state-specific)	—

Sources: Wisconsin figures — NCCI Annual Statistical Bulletin 2026, Exhibit 11. National injury-type benchmarks — NSC Injury Facts 2024, citing NCCI data.

What stands out in this comparison: Wisconsin’s lost-time claim average of $52,660 actually runs 11.3% above the national all-claims benchmark of $47,316. This matters because when a Wisconsin worker misses time from work, the full cost of that claim — including wage replacement and medical care — is not cheap, regardless of the state’s lower all-claims average. The lower all-claims average is partly a compositional effect: if Wisconsin has a higher proportion of medical-only claims, the overall average is pulled down even if serious claims cost just as much or more.

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Wisconsin Benefit Rate Schedule (2026)

Workers’ compensation benefits in Wisconsin are governed by Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 102, administered by the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development (DWD) Workers Compensation Division. The benefit rate structure below reflects the 2026 schedule. Note: The Wisconsin DWD updates maximum weekly benefit rates annually. Workers should verify the current maximum directly at dwd.wisconsin.gov/wc before relying on any figure for claim evaluation.

Benefit Type	Calculation Rate	Maximum Weekly Benefit	Notes
Temporary Total Disability (TTD)	66.67% of pre-injury average weekly wage	Verify current rate at DWD	Paid while worker is completely unable to work due to injury
Temporary Partial Disability (TPD)	66.67% of the difference between pre-injury wage and current reduced earnings	Verify current rate at DWD	Applies when worker returns at reduced hours or pay
Permanent Partial Disability (PPD)	66.67% of statewide average weekly wage × scheduled weeks by body part	Verify current rate at DWD	Weeks awarded based on body part and impairment percentage
Permanent Total Disability (PTD)	66.67% of pre-injury average weekly wage	Verify current rate at DWD	Paid for life if worker is permanently and totally unable to work
Death Benefits	66.67% of pre-injury average weekly wage	Verify current rate at DWD	Paid to surviving spouse and/or dependents
Vocational Rehabilitation	Varies	N/A	Mandatory offer required under Wis. Stat. § 102.61

Source: Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 102; Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development, Workers Compensation Division (dwd.wisconsin.gov/wc). Maximum weekly rates are set annually by the DWD based on the statewide average weekly wage. The 66.67% benefit rate is codified in Wis. Stat. § 102.11.

On PPD scheduled benefits: Wisconsin uses a schedule of weeks assigned to specific body parts. For example, the loss of a hand carries a defined number of compensable weeks under Wis. Stat. § 102.52. Your impairment rating, assigned by a physician, is multiplied against that schedule to determine weeks owed. Understanding this formula is essential to evaluating whether a PPD settlement offer is fair.

Statute of limitations: Under Wisconsin workers’ compensation law, you generally have 2 years from the date of injury, or 2 years from the date your employer or insurer last made a payment, to file a claim application. Missing this deadline can bar your claim entirely. Verify this deadline with a licensed Wisconsin attorney given the complexity of tolling provisions.

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What These Numbers Mean for Your Claim

Data is only useful if you know how to apply it. Here is how to use these figures when you are sitting across from an insurance adjuster — or reviewing a settlement offer at your kitchen table.

Use the right benchmark. The $14,501 all-claims average includes thousands of minor claims that resolved with a few physical therapy visits and no lost wages. If you fractured your spine, that number is irrelevant to your situation. Your benchmark is the PPD average of $82,715 at minimum — and if your injuries are severe, the PTD figure of $671,032 may be more appropriate. Insurance companies know this. They will sometimes cite the all-claims average to anchor your expectations low.

Understand what “average cost” includes. The NCCI figures represent total claim cost — medical payments plus indemnity (wage replacement and disability payments). A settlement offer that bundles these together may look large but underpay one component. Ask for the itemization: how much is medical, and how much is indemnity?

When I got my settlement offer in 2019 after my third injury — a lower back injury that took me off a job site for 14 months — the number on paper looked significant until I ran it against what I was actually owed in PPD weeks under the Wisconsin schedule. The insurer’s offer was structured to close out future medical at a number that assumed I’d need minimal ongoing care. I almost signed it. The NCCI data, combined with the actual Wisconsin PPD schedule, gave me the framework to ask hard questions. I am not a lawyer. But I knew enough to slow down.

What insurance companies do with averages: Insurers have access to the same NCCI data you do — and more proprietary data on top of it. Their adjusters and defense attorneys use predictive modeling to estimate claim value. When they present an offer, it is not a starting point offered in good faith — it is a calculated number. Your job is to understand what the data actually says about injuries like yours, not claims in general.

Get a medical opinion you trust. The impairment rating assigned by the treating physician drives your PPD calculation. An insurer may send you to an Independent Medical Examiner (IME) — though there is nothing truly “independent” about a physician paid by the insurer. In Wisconsin, you have the right to your own medical examiner under Wis. Stat. § 102.17(1)(d). Use it.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average workers’ comp settlement in Wisconsin?

The average total cost per workers’ compensation claim in Wisconsin is $14,501, according to the NCCI Annual Statistical Bulletin 2026, Exhibit 11. However, this figure encompasses all claim types, including minor medical-only claims that cost an average of just $2,588 and require no wage replacement. For injured workers who missed time from work, the lost-time claim average is $52,660. For workers with permanent impairment ratings, the permanent partial disability average is $82,715. Permanent total disability claims average $671,032, and fatal claims average $290,854.

The word “settlement” is also important to parse carefully. Not every claim ends in a lump-sum settlement. Many claims resolve through direct payment of benefits — weekly TTD checks, scheduled PPD payments, and covered medical bills — without ever reaching a formal compromise agreement. A “settlement” in the legal sense typically refers to a Compromise Agreement or a Stipulation resolving the claim in exchange for a lump sum that closes out some or all benefit types. The average settlement dollar amount for negotiated resolutions in Wisconsin is not separately published by the DWD. The NCCI figures are the best available public benchmark for total claim value.

Any single number — including the averages above — should be treated as a reference point, not a prediction. Your specific settlement value depends on your wage, your injury severity, your impairment rating, your employer’s cooperation, your attorney (if you have one), and the specific facts of your case.

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

The duration of a Wisconsin workers’ compensation claim varies significantly by claim type and complexity. Medical-only claims that are accepted by the insurer can resolve in weeks or a few months once treatment concludes. Lost-time claims — especially those involving permanent impairment, disputed liability, or ongoing treatment — routinely take one to three years to fully resolve.

The Wisconsin Workers Compensation Division does not publish average claim resolution timelines as a standalone statistic. However, NCCI data on claim development indicates that workers’ compensation claims in most states continue to develop (i.e., incur additional costs) for five to seven years after the policy year in which they were filed, reflecting the long tail of serious claims.

Key milestones that affect duration in Wisconsin: (1) Your treating physician must reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) before a PPD rating can be assigned and a final settlement negotiated. (2) If the insurer disputes liability or the impairment rating, a hearing before a Department of Workforce Development Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) may be required — scheduling these hearings can add six to eighteen months. (3) Appeals to the Labor and Industry Review Commission (LIRC) can extend the process further. If your claim is contested, assume a minimum of 18 to 24 months from date of injury to final resolution.

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

Multiple variables drive the final value of a Wisconsin workers’ compensation settlement, and understanding them gives you leverage in negotiations.

1. Pre-injury average weekly wage (AWW). Your TTD and PTD benefits are calculated at 66.67% of your AWW (Wis. Stat. § 102.11). A higher wage means higher weekly benefits and — in PTD cases — a higher lifetime benefit stream that translates to a larger lump-sum settlement value.

2. Impairment rating and scheduled body part. Your PPD benefit is determined by your physician’s impairment rating multiplied by the number of weeks assigned to the affected body part under the Wisconsin schedule (Wis. Stat. § 102.52). A 20% impairment rating to the hand is worth a different number of weeks than a 20% rating to the spine — and the weekly rate applied to those weeks also matters.

3. Future medical costs. If your injury requires ongoing care — surgeries, pain management, physical therapy — the present value of those future costs is a major component of settlement negotiations. Insurers will try to close out future medical exposure for less than it will actually cost you. Get a life care plan from a qualified expert for serious injuries.

4. Disputed liability. If the insurer contests whether your injury is work-related, the settlement value may be discounted to reflect litigation risk. A strong medical record tying the injury to work duties reduces this discount.

5. Legal representation. Multiple studies, including analysis cited by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI), find that represented workers receive higher gross benefit amounts than unrepresented workers in contested claims, even after attorney fees. In Wisconsin, attorney fees in workers’ compensation cases are typically set at 20% of the first $1,000 in disputed benefits, 10% thereafter (Wis. Stat. § 102.26).

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How do I know if my settlement offer is fair?

A settlement offer is fair when it adequately compensates you for (a) medical expenses already incurred, (b) future medical expenses you are likely to incur, (c) lost wages already paid or owed, and (d) permanent disability benefits calculated correctly under the Wisconsin schedule.

Start with the data. Use the NCCI figures in this report as a baseline reference for your injury category. Then apply the Wisconsin-specific math: take your average weekly wage, apply 66.67%, and calculate the number of PPD weeks you are owed based on your impairment rating and body part schedule under Wis. Stat. § 102.52. That gives you a floor for indemnity benefits.

Next, get an independent estimate of your future medical costs. Ask your treating physician what ongoing care, if any, you will need. If the answer is “significant,” consider hiring a life care planner or medical cost projection specialist.

Compare the settlement offer against the sum of: (1) your calculated PPD indemnity, (2) outstanding medical bills, and (3) a conservative estimate of future medical costs. If the offer is materially below that sum, it is not fair — and the insurer is banking on you not doing this math.

Finally, consult a workers’ compensation attorney before signing anything that closes out your rights. Most Wisconsin workers’ comp attorneys offer free consultations. A signed Compromise Agreement is final and binding. There is no taking it back.

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Should I hire a workers’ comp attorney in Wisconsin?

For simple, accepted medical-only claims, legal representation may not be necessary. For any claim involving lost time from work, a permanent impairment rating, disputed liability, an IME that undercounts your impairment, or a lump-sum settlement offer, you should at minimum consult a licensed Wisconsin workers’ compensation attorney before proceeding.

Here is the practical reality: workers’ compensation law in Wisconsin is technical. The PPD schedule, the apportionment rules, the second-injury fund provisions, the vocational rehabilitation obligations — these are not intuitive, and insurance adjusters navigate them every day. You probably do not.

The fee structure for Wisconsin workers’ comp attorneys is regulated. Under Wis. Stat. § 102.26, attorney fees are limited to 20% of the first $1,000 of disputed benefits and 10% of the remainder, subject to DWD approval. This means the attorney’s incentive is aligned with maximizing your recovery, and the fee does not come out of undisputed benefits.

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) has published multistate analysis indicating that attorney involvement correlates with higher gross benefit recovery in disputed claims, even after fees. The net benefit to the worker is often positive in contested cases. In Wisconsin, the DWD maintains a directory of licensed workers’ compensation practitioners. The State Bar of Wisconsin’s Lawyer Referral Service (marketplace.wisbar.org) can also assist with referrals. Do not mistake hiring an attorney as an act of aggression — it is an act of information parity.

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Data Sources and Methodology

NCCI Annual Statistical Bulletin 2026

Full citation: National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI). Annual Statistical Bulletin, 2026 Edition, Exhibit 11: Average Cost Per Case by State and Claim Type. Boca Raton, FL: NCCI Holdings, Inc., 2026.

The NCCI Annual Statistical Bulletin is the industry-standard reference for workers’ compensation claim cost data in the United States. Exhibit 11 reports average total cost per case — defined as the combined medical and indemnity costs per claim, including both paid and reserved amounts — by state and by claim type. Wisconsin is an NCCI-administered state for statistical purposes, meaning carriers writing coverage in Wisconsin report their loss data to NCCI under mandatory reporting requirements.

What “average cost per case” means and its limitations: The average cost per case figure is a mean, not a median. It is calculated by dividing total incurred costs (paid losses plus case reserves) by the number of claims in a defined development period. This means a small number of catastrophic claims can significantly inflate the average for severe claim types (PTD, fatal), while the large volume of low-cost medical-only claims pulls the all-claims average down. Averages do not predict individual outcomes. A worker with a specific injury, wage history, and impairment rating may have a claim worth significantly more or less than the published average.

NSC Injury Facts 2024

Full citation: National Safety Council (NSC). Injury Facts, 2024 Edition. Itasca, IL: National Safety Council, 2024. Available at: injuryfacts.nsc.org.

NSC Injury Facts compiles national workers’ compensation cost benchmarks by injury type and cause, drawing on NCCI data and Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) injury statistics. The national benchmarks by injury type cited in this report (amputation, head/CNS, motor vehicle, etc.) are drawn from this source and represent national averages — not Wisconsin-specific figures.

Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development – Workers Compensation Division

URL: https://dwd.wisconsin.gov/wc/

The DWD Workers Compensation Division is the state agency responsible for administering Wisconsin’s workers’ compensation system under Wisconsin Statutes Chapter 102. Maximum weekly benefit rates, the PPD body part schedule, dispute resolution procedures, and employer/insurer compliance requirements are all administered by this agency. Rates are updated annually. Researchers and injured workers should verify current maximum weekly rates directly with the DWD, as figures change each year based on the statewide average weekly wage calculation.

A Note on Wisconsin-Specific Breakdowns

NCCI does not publish Wisconsin-specific average costs broken out by injury type (e.g., average cost of a Wisconsin back injury claim). The injury-type benchmarks in the comparison table are national figures. This is a known limitation of publicly available workers’ compensation data. Wisconsin-specific injury-type averages exist within insurer proprietary databases and NCCI’s subscription data products, but are not available for public citation.

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Disclaimer

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. WorkCompWiki.com is a research and data resource, not a law firm. The data reported here is drawn from publicly available sources cited inline; it does not constitute a guarantee or prediction of any individual claim outcome. Workers’ compensation law is complex and fact-specific. If you have been injured at work in Wisconsin, consult a licensed Wisconsin workers’ compensation attorney before making decisions about your claim. Nothing on this page creates an attorney-client relationship. Shane Good is not an attorney.