North Carolina uses a body-part schedule: two-thirds of your average weekly wage (capped at $1,446 in 2026) times the scheduled weeks, scaled by your rating.
North Carolina's schedule per G.S. §97-31, paid at two-thirds of wages capped at $1,446/week (2026).
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Weekly maximum (2026) | $1,446 |
| Weekly maximum (2025) | $1,380 |
| Schedule (weeks) | Arm 240 · Hand 200 · Leg 200 · Foot 144 · Eye 120 · Back 300 |
| Attorney fees | Industrial Commission approval required (25% customary) |
A comp settlement trades future benefits for a lump sum. Three checks first: does the settlement close your future medical rights (a fair-looking number can be terrible if it does)? Is your impairment rating solid — insurer doctors rate low, and you can usually challenge with an independent exam? And was anyone besides your employer involved — because a third-party claim pays pain and suffering that comp never does.
North Carolina uses a body-part schedule: two-thirds of your average weekly wage (capped at $1,446 in 2026) times the scheduled weeks, scaled by your rating. Settlements then negotiate around that formula number — down for present-value and disputed ratings, up when the insurer wants to close future medical exposure.
Weekly maximum (2026): $1,446 · Weekly maximum (2025): $1,380 · Schedule (weeks): Arm 240 · Hand 200 · Leg 200 · Foot 144 · Eye 120 · Back 300 · Attorney fees: Industrial Commission approval required (25% customary)
Not your employer, in most cases — comp is the exclusive remedy. But if anyone else contributed to the injury (a negligent driver, a defective machine's manufacturer, a subcontractor), a third-party claim can pay full damages including pain and suffering, alongside the comp claim. That's the most commonly missed money in work-injury cases.
Industrial Commission approval required (25% customary)
The multiplier method with North Carolina's fault rule and deadlines applied.
Open →The generic scheduled-award formula with the federal reference schedule.
Open →Comp vs. third-party claims — where the missed money usually is.
Open →