Sources & Data References

This page lists every data source used in Injury Benefit Calc. We believe transparency about sources is essential to trustworthy information, and we update this list whenever we add or change a source.

1. State Workers’ Compensation Agencies (All 50 States)

We source benefit rates, formulas, and caps directly from the official workers’ compensation agency in each state. The full list:

2. National Organizations

NCCI (National Council on Compensation Insurance)

The National Council on Compensation Insurance (NCCI) is the ratemaking organization for workers’ comp in most U.S. states. NCCI publishes:

• Workers’ Compensation Rate Filings — the rate changes recommended to each state’s insurance regulator
• Annual State of the Line Report — industry-wide loss cost trends
• Detailed Claim Information — by injury type, industry, and state (used to estimate settlement values)

NCCI data is used in our settlement estimator to provide benchmarks for typical settlement amounts. NCCI is not a public agency and most of its data is licensed to insurance carriers. Public summaries are available at ncci.com.

WCRI (Workers Compensation Research Institute)

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent research organization that publishes:

• CompScope™ Benchmarks — interstate comparisons of benefit payments, durations, and outcomes
• Industry-specific studies — by injury type (back, knee, shoulder, etc.) and industry (construction, healthcare, manufacturing, etc.)
• Settlement value benchmarks — typical settlement amounts by injury severity

WCRI data is used in our settlement estimator. WCRI is funded by member insurance carriers, employers, and government agencies. Information is available at wcrinet.org.

3. Medical References

AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment

The AMA Guides are the standard reference for rating impairment in workers’ comp cases. Different states use different editions:

• AMA Guides, 4th Edition — used by Texas and a few other states
• AMA Guides, 5th Edition — used by Florida, New York, Illinois, and many other states
• AMA Guides, 6th Edition — used by California and a few other states

Information about the AMA Guides is available from the American Medical Association at ama-assn.org.

AAOS (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons)

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) provides clinical references for common workplace injuries, including back, knee, shoulder, hand, and other musculoskeletal injuries. Information is available at aaos.org.

4. Federal Sources

U.S. Department of Labor, OWCP

The Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (OWCP) administers the federal workers’ comp programs (for federal employees, longshore workers, coal miners, energy workers, and others). OWCP is not directly relevant to state workers’ comp systems, but it provides useful background on federal workers’ comp policies at dol.gov/agencies/owcp.

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration)

OSHA sets and enforces workplace safety standards. While OSHA does not administer workers’ comp, it sets the safety standards that workers’ comp cases often reference. Information is available at osha.gov.

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)

The BLS publishes the Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses (SOII), which provides national and state-level statistics on workplace injury frequency. We use SOII data to contextualize our calculators and state pages. Information is available at bls.gov/iif.

5. State Statutory References

For each state, we reference the state statute that codifies the workers’ comp system. Common statute locations:

• Labor Code (CA, TX)
• Workers’ Compensation Act (IL, IN, MA, MI, NJ, NY, PA, WI)
• Workers’ Compensation Law (FL, KY, LA, MS, NV, NH, NM, ND, OH, OK, OR, SC, SD, TN, VT, WA, WV, WY)
• Revised Statutes (AL, AR, GA, ID, IA, KS, ME, MN, MO, MT, NE, NC, RI, UT, VA)

Each state page lists the specific statute section that controls the calculation of the weekly benefit.

6. Update Process

We update our data on a fixed annual cycle. For each state, we review:

• The state’s rate schedule (effective January 1, July 1, or September 1, depending on the state)
• NCCI rate filings
• BLS SOII data
• Any statutory or regulatory changes

Updates are made in November–December for January 1 effective dates, in April–May for July 1 effective dates, and in June–July for September 1 effective dates. The “Last updated” date on each state page reflects the most recent update.

7. Reporting Errors

If you find an error in our data, please contact us so we can correct it. We review all feedback and update our data based on corrections from knowledgeable users.