A workers comp knee injury settlement is usually your rating, times your state's leg weeks, times your weekly check. Each state sets its own leg weeks, so the same knee can pay a different amount from state to state. Call now for a free review, and an attorney will check what your knee is owed.
How a workers comp knee injury settlement is figured
Most states treat a knee injury as harm to the leg. A doctor rates how much use of the leg you lost for good. That rating, times the weeks your state gives a leg, sets the base of your claim.
Ohio's schedule sets a leg at 200 weeks. Illinois gives a leg 215 weeks. New York uses a schedule loss of use, a percent of lost function your doctor reports.
In New York, that percent decides how many weeks you get paid. Your doctor's number carries real weight, so learn how your impairment rating is set.
Example: David's knee in Illinois
David hurt his knee lifting freight at a warehouse in Illinois. His doctor rated a 10 percent loss of use of the leg.
The Illinois schedule gives a leg 215 weeks. So 215 weeks times 10 percent equals 21.5 weeks of checks.
Each of those weeks is paid at David's weekly rate, which comes from his wage. You can run your own numbers through the knee settlement calculator below.
What raises a knee settlement
Three things push the number up. A higher rating adds weeks. A higher wage makes each week worth more.
Future care counts too. If you will need more surgery, shots, or a new knee later, that cost belongs in the deal.
Work you can no longer do also matters. A knee that keeps you off ladders or out of a truck cab can add wage loss value.
Knee surgery and your settlement
A scope or a full knee replacement usually changes your rating. The rating after surgery is often higher than before it.
Settling before surgery can leave money on the table. Most workers do better waiting until the doctor says they are as healed as they will get. That point is called maximum medical improvement.
An insurer may push a fast offer while you still limp. Before you sign, call us so an attorney can read the settlement offer line by line.
What it costs to have an attorney
The case review is free. You pay no fee unless you win, and the attorney is paid only out of money recovered.
State law caps the fee. In Illinois, the fee is limited to 20 percent of what you recover. See what a workers comp lawyer costs in your state.
What to do about your knee claim now
Every state counts a leg its own way. Moving in the right order protects your money.
- Call us for a free case review. An attorney who handles cases in your state gets on it right away.
- Keep every doctor note, scan, and work restriction in one folder.
- Do not sign any settlement papers until your attorney has read them.
For the rules where you work, start with workers comp by state.
Questions injured workers ask
How much should I settle for a knee injury?
Start with your rating times your state's leg weeks, then times your weekly rate. Add the care you still need. Call us for a free review before you accept any number.
What is the average payout for a knee injury at work?
There is no official national average. Your state's schedule and your rating set the base, and your wage and future care move it up.
Does physical therapy increase a workers comp settlement?
Not by itself. Therapy notes can prove your limits, and that backs up a fair rating.
What is the typical settlement for a total knee replacement?
It depends on your rating after the replacement and your state's leg weeks. A replacement usually means a higher rating and more future care.
Should I settle before knee surgery?
Waiting until your doctor says you have healed as much as you will is usually safer. If you settle first, the surgery cost has to be in the deal.
Do I pay a lawyer up front for a knee claim?
No. The review is free, and there is no fee unless you win. The fee comes out of money recovered, and state law caps it.
Benefit figures updated September 28, 2026