Arm (312 weeks)
Leg (288 weeks)
Hand (244 weeks)
Foot (205 weeks)
Eye (160 weeks)
Thumb (75 weeks)
First Finger (Index) (46 weeks)
Second Finger (Middle) (30 weeks)
Third Finger (Ring) (25 weeks)
Fourth Finger (Pinky) (15 weeks)
Great Toe (38 weeks)
Other Toe (16 weeks)
Hearing (One Ear) (60 weeks)
Hearing (Both Ears) (150 weeks)
Estimated Weekly Benefit Rate: $0.00
Total Weeks of Compensation: 0 weeks
Gross SLU Award: $0.00
Estimated Net Payout: $0.00
*This is an estimate. NY State max weekly caps apply based on your date of accident.
Understanding New York Scheduled Loss of Use (SLU)
In New York State Workers' Compensation, a Scheduled Loss of Use (SLU) award is a cash payment for permanent functional limitations in a specific body part resulting from a work-related injury. Unlike ongoing disability payments, an SLU award is a lump sum (minus what you have already been paid) designed to compensate for the permanent loss of earning capacity.
The New York SLU Formula
The calculation for an impairment rating payout in New York follows a specific statutory formula:
(2/3 × Average Weekly Wage) × (Statutory Weeks for Body Part × Impairment Rating %) = Gross Award
The "Average Weekly Wage" is usually based on your gross earnings for the 52 weeks prior to the accident. Note that the weekly rate is subject to state maximums which vary depending on the date of your injury.
Body Part
Maximum Weeks
Arm
312
Leg
288
Hand
244
Foot
205
Eye
160
Thumb
75
Critical Factors Affecting Your Award
The Medical Impairment Rating: After you reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI), a doctor will examine you and assign a percentage of loss according to the NY Workers' Comp Medical Impairment Guidelines.
Temporary Disability Credits: If you received weekly checks while you were out of work recovery, the insurance company "gets credit" for those payments. They are deducted from the final SLU gross amount.
Date of Injury: The maximum weekly benefit rate is updated every July 1st in New York. For example, accidents occurring between July 1, 2023, and June 30, 2024, have a higher maximum cap than those in 2022.
Example Calculation
If a worker earns $1,200 per week and suffers a 25% permanent loss of use of their arm:
Weekly Rate: $1,200 x 2/3 = $800.00
Total Weeks: 312 weeks (for an arm) x 25% = 78 weeks
Gross Award: $800.00 x 78 weeks = $62,400.00
If the insurance company already paid $10,000 while the worker was healing, the final payout would be $52,400.00.
function calculateSLUPayout() {
var aww = parseFloat(document.getElementById("avgWeeklyWage").value);
var bodyPartWeeks = parseFloat(document.getElementById("bodyPart").value);
var rating = parseFloat(document.getElementById("impairmentRating").value);
var prior = parseFloat(document.getElementById("priorPayments").value) || 0;
var resultDiv = document.getElementById("slu-result");
if (isNaN(aww) || isNaN(rating) || aww <= 0 || rating <= 0) {
alert("Please enter valid positive numbers for Average Weekly Wage and Impairment Rating.");
return;
}
// NY Benefit Rate is 2/3 of AWW
var weeklyRate = (aww * 2) / 3;
// Note: In a production app, we would check the date of injury
// and apply the NYS Max cap (e.g., ~$1,145 for 2024).
// For this calculator, we provide the raw calculation.
var totalAwardWeeks = (rating / 100) * bodyPartWeeks;
var grossAward = weeklyRate * totalAwardWeeks;
var netPayout = grossAward – prior;
if (netPayout < 0) netPayout = 0;
document.getElementById("resWeeklyRate").innerText = "$" + weeklyRate.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById("resTotalWeeks").innerText = totalAwardWeeks.toFixed(2);
document.getElementById("resGrossAward").innerText = "$" + grossAward.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
document.getElementById("resNetPayout").innerText = "$" + netPayout.toLocaleString(undefined, {minimumFractionDigits: 2, maximumFractionDigits: 2});
resultDiv.style.display = "block";
}