Hurt at work in Indiana? Deadlines, weekly benefit and how to file
Tell your employer in writing within 30 days (the date of the injury, or death). File your claim within 2 years.
Temporary total disability (TTD) benefits can pay two-thirds of your gross (before-tax) wages, up to $878 a week (on or after July 1, 2026).
Your employer's insurer, not the state, usually decides first. If they deny or delay, the free help listed here can explain your options.
In Indiana, temporary total disability pays part of your lost wages while you cannot work because of a work injury. Your employer's insurance carrier (or a self-insured employer) handles the claim, and disputes are decided by a Single Hearing Member of the Worker's Compensation Board.
Checked against official sources: October 31, 2026.
Deadlines are strict. If you are near one, call the state agency or free help today.
Free tools for Indiana
Free tools that run in your browser. Nothing you enter is saved or sent until you download, copy or print a document.
Deadline helper
Benefit estimate calculator
This estimate uses the rule in Indiana's data: a share of your average weekly wage, up to the state maximum.
Written notice to your employer
A letter that tells your employer, in writing, that you were hurt or made sick by your work.
Claim checklist: what to gather and do
A printable list of papers to keep and steps to take.
Deadlines in Indiana
- Tell your employer
- 30 days
- File your claim
- 2 years
- Waiting period
No wage benefits are paid for the first 7 calendar days of disability; benefits start with the 8th day.
Weekly benefit in Indiana
- What it pays
- Two-thirds of your gross (before-tax) wages
- Maximum
- $878 a week (on or after July 1, 2026)
- Minimum
- $50 a week (on or after July 1, 2026)
- Minimum rule
Your wage is counted as at least $75 a week, so the benefit is at least $50 a week. But the benefit can never be more than your actual average weekly wage, so if you earned less than $50 a week you get your full wage.
- Applies to
- Injuries on or after July 1, 2026
Law: Ind. Code §§ 22-3-3-7, 22-3-3-8, 22-3-3-22, 22-3-6-1(d)
Source: in.gov
Who is your doctor in Indiana?
- Who chooses
- Your employer or its insurer chooses
In Indiana the employer directs your medical care. Always communicate with your employer about your medical care.
If you feel you are not receiving adequate medical care, you can file an Application for Adjustment of Claim with the Board. If your doctor says you have reached maximum medical improvement and your benefits are being stopped, you can ask the Board for an independent medical exam; the employer pays for one such exam.
Law: Ind. Code § 22-3-3-4
Source: in.gov
Who is covered in Indiana
- Size of employer
Indiana law requires most businesses to have worker's compensation insurance or to be approved to self-insure.
- Not covered
- Casual laborers (work that is both casual and not in the usual course of the employer's business)
- Farm or agricultural employees (unless the employer chooses coverage)
- Household employees (unless the employer chooses coverage)
- Independent contractors under IRS guidelines (in construction trades they must hold a certificate of exemption)
- Licensed real estate agents paid by sales volume under a written independent-contractor agreement
- Truck owner-operators leased to a motor carrier under a written contract (they may choose coverage)
- Sole proprietors, partners and LLC members, unless they choose coverage
- Part-time youth coaches working as contractors for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit
- Workers covered by federal programs, sometimes in addition to state law (such as federal employees and railroad workers)
- Contractors
A person is an independent contractor, not an employee, if the person is an independent contractor under IRS guidelines. Independent contractors who do not choose coverage must get a certificate of exemption, and a business that hires them must get a stamped copy. You can look up contractor certificates with the Board.
- If your employer has no insurance
You can report an employer that does not carry required coverage to the Board through its Non-Compliant Employer Reporting tool.
Law: Ind. Code §§ 22-3-2-9, 22-3-2-14.5, 22-3-6-1(b)
Source: in.gov
If your claim is denied or delayed in Indiana
- First step
First talk with the insurance carrier (or self-insured employer) to find out why your claim was denied; sharing information or medical records often fixes it.
Lawyers' fees and other benefits in Indiana
The Board sets a schedule of attorney fees for a worker's lawyer when the claim results in a recovery: at least $200, 20% of the first $50,000 recovered, and 15% of any amount over $50,000. The Board keeps control over attorney fees and may order a different fee in a particular case. You may pursue a claim without an attorney.
Indiana worker's compensation also pays medical care, temporary partial disability, permanent partial impairment (PPI, paid by degrees of impairment), permanent total disability and death benefits. Mileage is reimbursed for medical travel.
Free help in Indiana
State agency
Worker's Compensation Board of Indiana
- Phone
- 317-233-3009
- Address
- 402 West Washington Street, Room W196, Indianapolis, IN 46204-2753
Free help
Good to know in Indiana
- Worker's compensation benefits are not taxed; this is why only two-thirds of your wage is paid.
- You cannot receive worker's compensation and unemployment benefits at the same time.
- The Board says an employer may not fire you for filing a worker's compensation claim, but Indiana is an at-will employment state.
Changes in 2024–2026
Indiana law set yearly steps each July 1: the maximum average weekly wage is $1,241 for injuries from July 1, 2024, $1,278 from July 1, 2025, and $1,316 for injuries on or after July 1, 2026 (total cap $439,000). No further step is set in the 2026 code.
Law: Ind. Code 22-3-3-22, as amended in 2023
Questions about workers' comp in Indiana
How long do I have to tell my employer about a work injury in Indiana?
Tell your employer about the injury right away. The law asks for written notice as soon as practicable, signed, with your name and address and the time, place, nature and cause of the injury.
How long do I have to file a workers' comp claim in Indiana?
Most claims are handled without a filing by you: your employer reports the injury and its insurance carrier pays or denies.
How much does workers' comp pay in Indiana?
Temporary total disability (TTD) benefits can pay two-thirds of your gross (before-tax) wages, up to $878 a week (on or after July 1, 2026).
Can I choose my own doctor for a work injury in Indiana?
In Indiana the employer directs your medical care. Always communicate with your employer about your medical care.
What if my workers' comp claim is denied in Indiana?
First talk with the insurance carrier (or self-insured employer) to find out why your claim was denied; sharing information or medical records often fixes it.
Not about a work injury?
Not about a work injury? Unpaid wages → Wage Claim Map · Hurt in a car crash → Accident Claim Map · A medical bill → Medical Bill Map · Unemployment benefits → Unemployment Claim Map · Other problems → robinclaim.com
Nearby states
Sources
- WCB: Who Is Eligible?
- WCB: Disputed Claims
- WCB: Informal Disputes
- WCB: Information on PPI & Weekly Benefits (updated 27-Jun-23)
- WCB: Compliance (statute excerpts, reporting duties)
- WCB: Independent Contractors
- WCB: Schedule of Attorney Fees
- Application for Adjustment of Claim
- Application for Review by Full Board
- Notice of Denial of Benefits
- Indiana Code 2026, Title 22 (official PDF, iga.in.gov)