Average Cost of a Workers’ Compensation Claim in Connecticut

Connecticut requires the majority of its employers to maintain workers’ compensation insurance to pay for injured workers’ medical bills and lost wages without requiring victims to prove negligence or fault. The average cost of a workers’ compensation claim can vary significantly based on factors that are unique to each case. The best way to estimate the potential value of your workers’ comp claim is by consulting with a New Haven workers’ compensation attorney.

General Range for Workers’ Compensation Settlements in Connecticut

Based on an analysis of all workers’ compensation settlements paid in the last eight years in Connecticut, the average value of a workers’ compensation claim is around $22,500. However, this “average” can range from $2,000 to $40,000 or more. Some cases that involve serious or fatal work injuries resulted in payouts in the millions. This is why it is not in your best interest to base the potential value of your claim on an average settlement estimation.

Types of Workers’ Compensation Benefits Available in Connecticut

Estimating the potential cost of your workers’ compensation claim after a harmful workplace accident in Connecticut starts with understanding the insurance benefits to which you may be entitled. Your employer should have information about the company’s workers’ compensation insurance policy posted in a visible place on the premises. If not, ask about the workers’ comp coverage that may apply to your case.

A successful workers’ compensation claim in Connecticut could lead to a payment for the following: 

• Wage replacement
• Ongoing care costs
• Temporary or permanent partial or total disability
• Disfigurement or scarring
• Funeral and burial costs (after a fatal accident)
• Mileage reimbursement
• Occupational retraining fees

The workers’ compensation payout rate in Connecticut is generally equal to about two-thirds, or 66.67 percent, of a worker’s average weekly wages. You may be eligible for these replacement wage benefits as well as coverage for 100 percent of your necessary medical treatments, including future estimated care. Medical costs could be substantial for a catastrophic or permanently disabling workplace injury.

Factors That Determine Workers’ Comp Claim Values

A variety of factors can contribute to the amount of the final payout of a workers’ compensation claim in Connecticut. Examples include: 

• The type of injury
• Injury extent and severity
• The treatment required, such as surgery
• The level of disability, if any
• Any permanent effects from the injury
• Wages earned prior to the accident
• The ability to return to work in a limited capacity
• The limits on the insurance policy
• Whether you have grounds to file a personal injury lawsuit

In general, serious and complex injuries will result in higher workers’ comp payouts than minor worker injuries. However, case values can range significantly.

How Can an Attorney Help You?

As a general rule, you should not estimate the potential value of your particular accident or injury claim in Connecticut based on a perceived “average settlement amount.” Averages that you may find online will rarely be accurate to your specific case. This is because every workers’ compensation claim is unique. Instead, you should contact an attorney for an in-depth review of your circumstances. Tell your workplace injury story to a lawyer at Jacobs & Jacobs during a free case review for more information. Call (475) 323-6562 today.