HomeWorkers' compTennessee
Tennessee workers' comp settlement chart
No body-part schedule applies to injuries on or after July 1, 2014. Permanent partial disability is paid as 66 2/3% of the average weekly wage (up to the permanent-benefit maximum) for a number of weeks equal to the impairment rating x 450 weeks (50-6-207(3)(A)). If the worker has not returned to work at the same or higher pay after the original award period or 180 days after MMI, the original award is multiplied by 1.35 and further multiplied by education (1.45), age over 40 (1.2) and county unemployment (1.3) factors where they apply (50-6-207(3)(B)).
Each week pays 66.67% of your average weekly wage, up to $1,353 a week (injuries from 2026-07-01 to 2027-06-30).
Quoted from Tennessee law and the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development, Bureau of Workers' Compensation, checked October 2, 2026 · not legal advice
Rates and deadlines
| Temporary disability rate | 66 2/3% of your average weekly wage, subject to the maximum and minimum weekly benefit | Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-207(1)(A) |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly maximum | $1,488 (injuries from 2026-07-01 to 2027-06-30); applies to temporary benefits (TTD and TPD): 110% of the state average weekly wage of $1,353. The maximum for permanent benefits is lower, $1,353.00 (100%). | TN BWC Compensation Rates table (statute row 7/1/26 - 6/30/27) and BWC 2026 legislative changes notice |
| Weekly minimum | $203 (injuries from 2026-07-01 to 2027-06-30); temporary and permanent benefits (if average weekly wage is lower than the minimum, the worker receives the full average weekly wage) | TN BWC Compensation Rates table; 2026 legislative changes notice |
| Permanent partial rate | 66 2/3% of your average weekly wage, paid for a period of weeks equal to impairment rating x 450 weeks; no separate schedule for injuries on or after July 1, 2014 | Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-207(3)(A) |
| Waiting period | 7 days, paid back if you are out more than 14 days | TN BWC, Temporary Disability Benefits page (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-205) |
| Tell your employer | generally 15 calendar days from when you knew or should have known about the suspected injury (injuries on or after July 1, 2016) | TN BWC Filing a Claim page and Beginner's Guide (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-201, 50-6-203) |
| File your claim | generally 1 year from the date of injury, or 1 year from the last day temporary disability benefits were paid or medical benefits were provided, whichever is latest (deadline to file the Petition for Benefit Determination) | TN BWC Filing a Claim page and Beginner's Guide (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-201, 50-6-203) |
What a settlement adds or takes away
The chart is the statute's payment for a permanent injury. A lump-sum settlement can differ: it may also close out future medical care or wage loss, and the insurer and the judge must agree. A workers' comp lawyer in Tennessee can tell you what your rating is likely to be.
Questions
What is the maximum workers' comp benefit in Tennessee?
$1,488 a week for injuries from 2026-07-01 to 2027-06-30.
How long do I have to file a workers' comp claim in Tennessee?
generally 1 year from the date of injury, or 1 year from the last day temporary disability benefits were paid or medical benefits were provided, whichever is latest (deadline to file the Petition for Benefit Determination).
Sources
- Schedule (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-207(3)(H)): law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-50/chapter-6/part-2/section-50-6-207/
(H) All cases of permanent partial disability shall be apportioned to the body as a whole, which shall have a value of four hundred fifty (450) weeks, and there shall be paid compensation to the injured employee for the proportionate loss of use of the body as a whole resulting from the injury.
- Weekly maximum (TN BWC Compensation Rates table (statute row 7/1/26 - 6/30/27) and BWC 2026 legislative changes notice): www.tn.gov/workforce/injuries-at-work/injured-workers/injured-workers/benefits/w
Statute 7/1/26 - 6/30/27 $202.95 66.67% $1,353 110.00% $1,488.30 100.00% $1,353.00 450 wks $608,850 unlimited 10,000 unlimited
- Permanent partial rate (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-207(3)(A)): law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-50/chapter-6/part-2/section-50-6-207/
(3) Permanent Partial Disability. (A) In case of disability partial in character but adjudged to be permanent, at the time the injured employee reaches maximum medical improvement the injured employee shall be paid sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66⅔%) of the employee's average weekly wages for the period of compensation, which shall be determined by multiplying the employee's impairment rating by four hundred fifty (450) weeks.
- Temporary disability rate (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-207(1)(A)): law.justia.com/codes/tennessee/title-50/chapter-6/part-2/section-50-6-207/
(1) Temporary Total Disability. (A) For injury producing temporary total disability, sixty-six and two-thirds percent (66⅔%) of the average weekly wages as defined in this chapter, subject to the maximum weekly benefit and minimum weekly benefit
- Deadlines (TN BWC Filing a Claim page and Beginner's Guide (Tenn. Code Ann. 50-6-201, 50-6-203)): www.tn.gov/workforce/injuries-at-work/injured-workers/injured-workers/filing-a-c
Employees generally have fifteen calendar days from when they knew or should have known about their suspected injury to report it to their employer
Read October 2, 2026. Laws and fees change; the linked page is the authority.