When someone in Texas suffers a workplace injury, navigating the workers’ compensation system can be complex. Unlike in some states, there’s no widely used “settlement chart” published by a central authority in Texas that maps specific injuries to standard lump-sum payouts. Instead, values emerge from a combination of statutory benefit limits, impairment ratings, and negotiated settlement practices. Here’s a breakdown of how settlements tend to work in Texas, key numbers to know, and what factors influence the value of a claim.
Why Texas Doesn’t Have a Simple Public Settlement Chart
- Texas is a “no-fault” workers’ compensation state, which means compensation is based on medical costs and lost wages, not “pain and suffering.”
- Payments are typically made in weekly income benefits (rather than huge lump-sum payouts), and there is no formal schedule of payouts for specific body parts like in some other states.
- When lump-sum “impairment income benefit” (IIB) settlements occur, they are usually based on the worker’s impairment rating (percentage of permanent impairment) and the weekly maximum benefits, combined through negotiation — not a fixed “chart.”
Because of this structure, many sources refer to ranges rather than a true settlement table.
Key Benefit Rates in Texas
To understand settlement ranges, it helps to know the maximum and minimum benefit amounts that the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) allows for different types of workers’ comp payments:
According to TDI, for the fiscal year 2025 (10/1/24–9/30/25):
- Temporary Income Benefits (TIBs): Max weekly = $1,218.62; Min = $183.00
- Impairment Income Benefits (IIBs): Same maximum of $853.00/week and the same minimum of $183.00/week.
- Lifetime Income Benefits (LIBs): Maximum = $1,218.62/week for certain serious impairments.
These rates are set in part by the State Average Weekly Wage (SAWW), which TDI updates.
These figures become the foundation for any negotiated impairment settlement because they help determine how much a person would receive per week if they settle.
How Impairment Ratings Translate into Settlement Ranges
One major factor in a Texas workers’ comp “settlement chart” is the impairment rating. When a medical evaluation determines a percentage of permanent impairment (e.g., 5%, 10%, 20%, etc.), that rating is often used to calculate a lump-sum payout based on the IIB weekly maximum.
For example:
- A 10% impairment rating → commonly results in ~$8,700 as a lump-sum when a weekly rate of around ~$870 is used for calculation.
- Higher ratings (e.g., 20%, 30%) yield higher lump sums proportionately: the impairment rating multiplied by the number of weeks assigned (based on Texas “weeks per percentage point” rules) times the weekly maximum.
These impairment-to-weeks formulas are published by some law firms and workers’ comp attorneys.
Other Factors That Influence Settlement Value
Even in a state without chart-listed payouts, several factors affect how much a workers’ compensation settlement might be:
- Medical Future Care: Serious injuries that require ongoing treatment may justify a higher lump-sum.
- Wage Level: Your average weekly wage before injury affects benefit calculation, and higher wages mean higher potential settlement.
- Negotiation Leverage: Having a disability rating and a well-documented case gives you more bargaining power.
- Attorney Representation: Experienced workers’ compensation lawyers can negotiate better impairment settlements.
- Statutory Benefit Caps: Because of TDI’s weekly limits, even a high disability rating has a ceiling on what a settlement can reasonably reflect.
Why Settlement Charts Are Less Precise in Texas
- Unlike states with mandated “loss-of-use” (LOU) schedules (for example, a specific dollar amount for losing a finger), Texas does not have such a schedule for body parts.
- Many “charts” published online are approximate ranges, based on experience — not official government data.
- Texas workers’ compensation settlements often depend on individual circumstances, not a fixed “grid.”
Conclusion
In Texas, a “workers’ comp settlement chart” is not a fixed table but rather a framework based on impairment ratings, statutory weekly benefit limits, and negotiations. As of 2025, the key is to understand how your impairment rating interacts with benefit maximums, and to use that information to negotiate a fair lump-sum when appropriate. Because Texas does not rely on a standard schedule of payout amounts, working with an attorney and understanding your wage and injury rating are essential to maximizing your workers’ compensation recovery.
