North Carolina Workers' Comp Settlement Chart (2026)

This North Carolina chart does not establish a measured average settlement. Its ranges are modeled examples using an assumed $1,200 average weekly wage, reference schedule weeks, impairment assumptions, and medical multipliers—not a database of actual North Carolina settlements. A specific offer depends on the benefits available under state law, medical needs, wage loss, disputed issues, and the rights being released.

Use the North Carolina chart to compare illustrative injury scenarios, not to look up a guaranteed payout. Identify the injury, then check your actual wage rate, rating, benefit category, and state-specific disability method. The table uses common reference weeks rather than a verified North Carolina schedule for every body part. Medical multipliers are modeling assumptions, not treatment quotes or legal entitlements.

Permanent partial disability uses a schedule of weeks for each body part, with up to 300 weeks for the back. The full settlement also depends on unpaid benefits, future wage loss, medical rights if legally settleable, and disputed issues. Do not assume the TTD weekly rate or a generic weeks-times-rating formula determines every permanent award.

A 10% impairment rating does not have one fixed dollar value in North Carolina. Its meaning depends on whether it applies to a body part or the whole person, the governing rating system, injury date, and permanent disability rules. A scheduled-award illustration would multiply the applicable PPD weekly rate by the state's scheduled weeks and 0.10, but only if that method actually applies. The reference table on this page is not a verified state-specific award calculation.

Clincher agreements (compromise settlements) must be approved by the North Carolina Industrial Commission. The agreement's scope matters: check which benefits it releases, whether medical care remains available, and whether any reopening rights survive. Confirm the current procedure with North Carolina Industrial Commission before signing.

A North Carolina settlement may preserve or release medical rights depending on the agreement and state law. Read the medical provisions before comparing dollar offers. If you take responsibility for future treatment, consider documented expected costs rather than the chart's generic medical multiplier.

Temporary total disability (TTD) replaces qualifying wages while you cannot work during recovery. Permanent disability benefits address lasting impairment or loss of earning capacity under North Carolina law. The categories can use different rates, caps, and calculation methods. Past TTD checks, a permanent award, and a negotiated settlement are not interchangeable amounts and should not automatically be added together.

The calculator lists $1,302 per week as its reference TTD maximum for North Carolina. This is not a maximum settlement amount, and it may not be the correct rate for permanent disability. North Carolina's temporary total disability estimate uses 66.67% of average weekly wages, subject to the applicable weekly limits. The wage period and earnings included depend on North Carolina law. Check the injury-date rate notice and benefit category with North Carolina Industrial Commission.

There is no guaranteed settlement-offer date in North Carolina. Medical stability and permanent disability assessment often help the parties evaluate future exposure, but a disputed claim may be negotiated at another stage. Treatment, disputed liability, records, negotiations, and required approval all affect timing. An early or late offer is not automatically below or above a fair value.

Compare the offer with the benefits and rights you would retain without settling, not just the chart range. Review wage calculations, the medical rating, work restrictions, unpaid benefits, future treatment, and any disputed liability. Check fees, expenses, offsets, and what you will receive after deductions. A North Carolina attorney can explain the legal tradeoffs, but representation does not guarantee a larger payment.

No. Surgery alone does not determine a North Carolina workers' compensation award or settlement. Lasting impairment, work capacity, covered medical needs, and state benefit rules matter. A successful operation with little residual disability can produce a different outcome from an injury requiring long-term care; the surgery label in this chart is an illustrative scenario, not a minimum payout.

North Carolina workers' compensation settlements paid under a workers' compensation law for an occupational injury or sickness are generally excluded from federal income tax under IRC Section 104(a)(1). This does not make all injury-related payments tax-free: wages earned after returning to work, certain retirement payments, and payments outside workers' compensation may be treated differently. IRS Publication 525 also explains that the portion replacing Social Security benefits reduced by a workers' compensation offset is treated as Social Security benefits for tax purposes. Check state tax treatment and any allocation in your agreement with a tax professional.

North Carolina statutory workers' compensation benefits generally do not include a separate pain-and-suffering award. They address covered medical care, wage loss, and permanent disability under state law. A separate claim against a responsible third party may allow different damages, but it requires its own legal assessment and can involve reimbursement or credit rights; do not add lawsuit damages to this comp chart.

An attorney is not generally required for every North Carolina claim, but representation can affect settlement procedures and approval requirements. A lawyer can review the rating, wage records, future care, released rights, and disputed benefits. Ask about applicable fee approval and expenses before hiring; neither a consultation nor representation guarantees a settlement or higher payout.

North Carolina's general traumatic-injury guidance lists employer notice as 30 days (written) and claim filing as 2 years from injury or last payment. These are separate requirements: an employer's accident report may not protect your right to file a claim. Occupational disease, repetitive trauma, prior benefit payments, and other exceptions can change the deadline or its starting date. Report promptly and confirm your specific dates with the North Carolina Industrial Commission.

It is a lump-sum settlement that closes your workers' comp claim, usually including future medical. The Industrial Commission must review and approve it.

Use the North Carolina Industrial Commission's official website at https://www.ic.nc.gov/ to check current forms, rate notices, and settlement procedures. Confirm the rules effective for your injury date and benefit type. This chart is an educational model, not an agency-approved valuation or an individualized legal opinion.