How much a Montana workers comp settlement is worth depends on three things: the body part injured, your impairment rating, and your weekly wage. Typical Montana settlements run 5000 to 75000 for most claims, with serious/surgical or permanent-total cases running higher; Montana is widely described as a conservative, modest-payout state, and every case differs — confirm with the state board and a licensed attorney.
This guide lays out the Montana caps, the body-part schedule, and how the math works, in plain English. All figures are from Montana sources, verified as of June 2026.
Montana at a Glance
| Wage replacement | 66.67% (66 2/3% of the worker’s wages at the time of injury) |
| Max weekly benefit | $1,084 |
| Min weekly benefit | NONE (Montana sets no fixed dollar floor; the benefit is simply 66 2/3% of the worker’s actual wages, so a low earner receives 2/3 of their own wage rather than a statutory minimum) |
| Waiting period | 4 (no benefits for the first 32 hours or 4 days of wage loss, whichever is less; compensable from the 5th day — MCA 39-71-736) |
| PPD method | Combination / whole-person impairment-and-wage-loss method — Montana has NO scheduled body-part list. PPD = a percentage built from the whole-person impairment rating (AMA Guides 6th ed.) plus statutory add-on factors (age, education, wage loss, and lifting/physical restriction) multiplied by 400 weeks (MCA 39-71-703). A separate impairment award (impairment rating × weeks) is payable even without wage loss, but a full PPD wage-loss award requires actual wage loss AND an impairment rating. |
| Lawyer recommended | For serious injuries, denials, or any settlement offer |
In This Montana Guide:
How Much Is a Workers’ Comp Settlement in Montana?
How much a Montana workers comp settlement is worth depends on three things: the body part injured, your impairment rating, and your weekly wage. Typical Montana settlements run 5000 to 75000 for most claims, with serious/surgical or permanent-total cases running higher; Montana is widely described as a conservative, modest-payout state, and every case differs — confirm with the state board and a licensed attorney.
This guide lays out the Montana caps, the body-part schedule, and how the math works, in plain English. All figures are from Montana sources, verified as of June 2026.
Want a quick estimate for your own injury?
Montana Body-Part Settlement Values
If your injury is a permanent loss to a specific body part, Montana assigns it a set number of weeks of benefits. Your payout is roughly those weeks multiplied by your impairment rating and your weekly comp rate. Here are the Montana figures:
Montana body-part values: NONE — Montana does not use a statutory scheduled-member (arm/hand/leg/eye, etc.) week table; it uses the whole-person impairment-rating × 400-week formula instead
Whole-body / maximum: up to 400 (PPD rating may not exceed 100%, i.e., 100% × 400 weeks = 400 weeks maximum) weeks.
How Montana Calculates Your Payout
The weekly rate is 66 2/3% of the worker’s average weekly wage at the time of injury. For temporary/permanent TOTAL disability the rate is capped at 100% of the State’s Average Weekly Wage (the $1,084 cap for injuries 7/1/2024–6/30/2025); for PERMANENT PARTIAL disability the rate is capped at one-half of the State’s Average Weekly Wage.
The cap is reset by the Montana DLI each July 1, so confirm the current 7/1/2025–6/30/2026 figure with ERD.
Permanent disability: Combination / whole-person impairment-and-wage-loss method — Montana has NO scheduled body-part list. PPD = a percentage built from the whole-person impairment rating (AMA Guides 6th ed.) plus statutory add-on factors (age, education, wage loss, and lifting/physical restriction) multiplied by 400 weeks (MCA 39-71-703).
A separate impairment award (impairment rating × weeks) is payable even without wage loss, but a full PPD wage-loss award requires actual wage loss AND an impairment rating.
Offsets: Social Security retirement offset applies — permanent total disability benefits are coordinated with and generally end at Social Security retirement eligibility (MCA 39-71-710); confirm specifics with the board
What Settlements Actually Run in Montana
5000 to 75000 for most claims, with serious/surgical or permanent-total cases running higher; Montana is widely described as a conservative, modest-payout state, and every case differs — confirm with the state board and a licensed attorney That said, no two cases are alike — the number that matters is the one your own injury, rating, and wage produce, not a statewide average.
What drives a Montana settlement: body part/region injured, the AMA-Guides whole-person impairment rating, the worker’s wage at injury, actual post-injury wage loss, future medical needs, and ability/inability to return to the job
How Workers’ Comp Settlements Work in Montana
A Montana workers comp settlement usually has two parts: the wage benefits you are paid while you cannot work, and a lump sum for any permanent damage the injury leaves behind. The wage piece replaces a share of your average weekly wage, up to the state cap shown above.
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The permanent piece is where most of the settlement value lives, and it depends on the body part, your impairment rating, and how the state values that loss.
Scheduled vs. Unscheduled Injuries in Montana
Most states, including how Montana handles many claims, divide permanent injuries into two buckets. A scheduled loss is a specific body part with a set number of weeks assigned to it, like an arm, hand, or leg. An unscheduled loss affects the body as a whole, like a back or a head injury, and is often worth more because it touches your overall ability to earn.
Knowing which bucket your injury falls into is the first step to understanding what your case may be worth.
Other Montana settlement rules: Montana abolished scheduled body-part awards in favor of a whole-person system, so two workers with the same body-part injury can receive very different PPD awards depending on wage loss and the statutory age/education/restriction factors. A PPD wage-loss award requires BOTH an impairment rating (objective medical findings, not pain alone, per AMA Guides 6th ed.) AND actual wage loss; an impairment-only award is available without wage loss.
Maximum medical improvement (MMI) generally must be reached before PPD/settlement is determined. These are general references, not legal advice — many claimants confirm figures with the Montana ERD and a licensed Montana attorney.
Understanding Your Montana Workers Comp Settlement
The size of a Montana workers comp settlement is not random — it follows the state’s own formula. Your average weekly wage sets your benefit rate, the body part and impairment rating set the number of weeks, and the state cap sets the ceiling. Put together, those pieces are what a Montana workers comp settlement is built from.
If any part of your Montana workers comp settlement is unclear, the calculator below gives a quick estimate and your state board can confirm the current caps and the body-part schedule.
Got a settlement offer? Before you accept, it helps to know what your Montana case may really be worth. An attorney can review the offer, often at no upfront cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is a workers’ comp settlement in Montana?
There is no single average — a Montana settlement depends on the body part, your impairment rating, and your wage. Typical ranges run 5000 to 75000 for most claims, with serious/surgical or permanent-total cases running higher; Montana is widely described as a conservative, modest-payout state, and every case differs — confirm with the state board and a licensed attorney.
Use the calculator on this page for an estimate, and remember every case is different.
How is a Montana workers’ comp settlement calculated?
Montana generally pays a share of your average weekly wage (capped at $1084/week), then adds a permanent-disability amount based on the body part and your impairment rating. The state’s body-part schedule sets the number of weeks.
Do I need a lawyer to settle my Montana workers’ comp case?
Not always, but for a serious injury, a denied claim, or a settlement offer you are unsure about, many claimants talk to a workers’ comp attorney first — the consultation is usually free and represented claimants often recover more.
Official Montana Sources & Resources
- Montana Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Employment Relations Division (ERD) — Workers’ Compensation Claims Assistance Bureau; contested cases are heard by the Montana Workers’ Compensation Court: https://erd.dli.mt.gov/work-comp-claims/
- Montana Workers’ Comp Statute: https://archive.legmt.gov/bills/mca/title_0390/chapter_0710/part_0070/section_0030/0390-0710-0070-0030.html
- U.S. Department of Labor — Workers’ Comp: dol.gov
- NCCI (rating/benefit data): ncci.com
These Montana workers comp settlement figures were last verified against official sources in June 2026. State benefit caps change every year — confirm the current figure with your state workers’-comp board or a licensed attorney before you rely on it.
More Montana Workers’ Comp Guides
- How to File a Montana Workers’ Comp Claim
- Montana Workers’ Comp Requirements (Employers)
- Workers’ Comp Guides for All 50 States
Disclaimer: This guide is informational only and is not legal, medical, or financial advice. Workers Comp Explained is an independent educational resource, not a law firm or insurer. Workers’ comp benefits, settlement values, deadlines, and requirements vary by state and by the specific facts of your injury and change over time, and any settlement figures here are illustrative only.
Confirm your rights and any deadline with your state’s workers’ compensation board and a licensed attorney before you act.