Workers' Comp Benefits in Tennessee

This is general information, not legal advice. A Tennessee workers’ compensation attorney can help with your specific situation.

Tennessee workers’ compensation provides several categories of benefits, each calculated differently and subject to specific limits. Understanding which type applies to you — and how it is calculated — is essential before you accept any offer or sign a settlement.

Medical benefits

Your employer’s insurer must pay for all reasonable and necessary medical treatment authorized by your Authorized Treating Physician (ATP). This includes doctor visits, surgery, hospitalization, physical therapy, prescription medication, and medical equipment. Medical benefits are not time-limited: as long as the ATP relates ongoing treatment to your work injury, the insurer must keep paying — effectively for the life of the injury unless a settlement closes medical benefits.

You are also entitled to mileage reimbursement for travel to and from authorized medical appointments, calculated at the state’s standard mileage rate.

Temporary Total Disability (TTD)

When your injury prevents you from working at all, TTD pays 66⅔% of your average weekly wage (AWW) from the 52 weeks before the injury. There is an 8-day waiting period — TTD does not start on day one. However, if you are disabled for 14 days or more, the first 8 days are paid retroactively.

The maximum TTD rate changes every July 1. As of July 2025, the maximum is $1,426.70/week — but this figure will be updated next July. Always verify the current maximum at tn.gov/workforce/injuries-at-work before relying on a specific number.

Temporary Partial Disability (TPD)

If you return to work in a light-duty capacity at a reduced wage while recovering, TPD pays two-thirds of the difference between your pre-injury AWW and your current reduced earnings. TPD ends when you reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) or return to your pre-injury wage.

Permanent Partial Disability (PPD)

Once you reach MMI, your ATP assigns an impairment rating as a percentage of the body as a whole. All Tennessee PPD benefits are calculated against the body as a whole, capped at a 450-week maximum. The impairment percentage multiplied by 450 gives your base impairment weeks. From there:

• If you return to work at equal or greater pay: the award is capped at 1.5× the impairment weeks.
• If you do not return to work at equal or greater pay: the award can reach up to 6× the impairment weeks.

Example: A 10% impairment rating equals 45 base weeks. If you return to work at the same pay, you receive up to 67.5 weeks of PPD (45 × 1.5). If you cannot return to comparable work, you could receive up to 270 weeks (45 × 6).

In extraordinary cases, the escape clause under T.C.A. § 50-6-242 can add up to 275 additional weeks beyond the standard PPD award when the worker’s vocational disability significantly exceeds the medical impairment rating.

Permanent Total Disability (PTD)

If your injuries prevent you from returning to any gainful employment, you may qualify for PTD benefits. PTD pays at the same rate as TTD (66⅔% of AWW) and continues until you become eligible for full Social Security retirement benefits.

Death benefits

When a work injury results in death, the surviving spouse and dependent children receive 66⅔% of the deceased worker’s AWW (T.C.A. § 50-6-210). The employer’s insurer must also pay burial expenses up to $10,000 for deaths occurring on or after May 19, 2017.

For a complete breakdown of how to start a claim, see Filing a Workers’ Comp Claim in Tennessee. To speak with a Tennessee workers’ comp attorney, get help now.