If you’ve been injured on the job in California, one of the first questions that keeps you up at night is almost always the same: “How long will my workers’ compensation benefits last?”
The fear is real. Rent is due, medical bills are piling up, and you’re unable to work. You need to know whether the checks will keep coming long enough for you to heal—or whether the insurance company will cut you off just when you need help the most.
At Laguna Law Firm, we’ve represented thousands of injured workers across Orange County, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Diego, and throughout California. We know exactly how confusing—and stressful—this question can be. That’s why we wrote this comprehensive guide.
This is the most detailed, up-to-date (November 2025) explanation you’ll find anywhere about how long workers’ compensation benefits last in California, including temporary disability, permanent disability, medical treatment, vocational retraining vouchers, and death benefits.
Bookmark this page. Share it with anyone who’s been hurt at work. And when you’re ready for real help, call us at (949) 930-1386 for a completely free, no-pressure consultation.
The 5 Main Types of California Workers’ Compensation Benefits (And How Long Each One Lasts)
California workers’ compensation pays five major categories of benefits. Each has its own rules, caps, and exceptions.
- Medical Treatment
- Temporary Disability Benefits – Temporary (TD)
- Disability Benefits – Permanent (PD)
- Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit (voucher)
- Death Benefits
Let’s break them down one by one with the exact time limits and dollar amounts that apply in 2025.
1. Medical Treatment Benefits – Often Lifetime (No Statutory Time Limit)
Good news first: In California, medical benefits for work injuries have no time limit and no dollar cap.
As long as your treating doctor says the treatment is reasonably required to cure or relieve the effects of your industrial injury, the workers’ comp insurance company must pay 100% of it—forever if necessary.
This includes:
- Doctor visits, surgery, hospitalization
- Physical therapy, chiropractic, acupuncture (up to statutory limits for some modalities)
- Prescription medications
- Medical devices (braces, wheelchairs, prosthetics)
- Home health care
- Mileage reimbursement to appointments
Real-world example: We currently represent a roofer from Laguna Niguel who fell 20 feet in 2018. He has received over $1.2 million in medical treatment so far—including multiple spinal fusions—and the insurance company is still paying for his pain management, medications, and in-home nursing care seven years later with no end in sight.
Long-tail keywords this answers:
- “does California workers comp pay for medical treatment for life”
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- “workers comp medical settlement vs lifetime medical California”
Many injured workers are pressured into accepting a small cash settlement that closes their medical rights forever. Never sign anything without having an attorney review it first.
2. Temporary Disability Benefits – Usually 104 Weeks Maximum (But Exceptions Can Double It)
Temporary disability (TD) payments replace your wages while you are unable to work and still healing.
There are two kinds:
- **Temporary Total Disability (TTD): You can’t work at all – pays two-thirds of your average weekly wage (2025 max rate: $1,671.99/week)
- Temporary Partial Disability (TPD): You can do light duty for less pay – makes up most of the wage loss
**Standard Rule (Injury on or after January 1, 2005): Maximum 104 weeks of temporary disability payments within a 5-year period from the date of injury. (Labor Code § 4656(c)(1))
Important Exceptions – Up to 240 Weeks Allowed For:
- Severe burns
- Amputations
- Chronic hepatitis B or C
- HIV
- Pulmonary fibrosis
- Chronic lung disease
- High-velocity eye injuries
- Chemical burns to the eyes
If your injury falls into one of those categories, you can receive up to 240 weeks of temporary disability—more than double the normal cap.
Additional extensions are possible if you have surgery that was delayed because of insurance company disputes or COVID-era backlog.
Long-tail keywords this answers:
- “how long does temporary disability last in California 2025”
- “104 week cap temporary disability California exceptions”
- “workers comp temporary total disability maximum weeks”
We see insurance companies illegally stop TD payments at exactly 104 weeks even when the treating doctor says the worker is still temporarily totally disabled. That’s unlawful—and we sue them for it.
3. Permanent Disability Benefits – From a Few Months to Lifetime Payments
Once you reach Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI)—meaning your condition is “permanent and stationary”), temporary disability stops and permanent disability (PD) begins.
Your permanent disability percentage (0%–100%) is determined by the treating doctor or a Qualified Medical Evaluator (QME).
The number of weeks you receive depends on your percentage and the date of injury.
2025 Permanent Disability Payment Schedule (Simplified)
| PD Rating | Approximate Weeks Paid | Lifetime Pension After? |
|---|---|---|
| 1–14% | 4–61 weeks | No |
| 15–24% | 62–114 weeks | No |
| 25–69% | 115–400+ weeks | No |
| 70–99% | 400–700+ weeks | Yes – lifetime payments after initial weeks |
| 100% | Lifetime from day one | Yes – full rate |
Example: A 45-year-old warehouse worker in Irvine with a 42% permanent disability rating for a crushed ankle would receive roughly 238 weeks of permanent disability payments (about 4.5 years) at approximately $290/week, plus future medical care.
A police officer with a 78% rating from a gunshot wound would receive hundreds of weeks at a higher rate, then lifetime payments of roughly $200–$300 per week for the rest of his life.
Long-tail keywords this answers:
- “California permanent disability life pension threshold 2025”
- “how many weeks per percentage point workers comp California”
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Insurance companies routinely low-ball permanent disability ratings. We have increased ratings by 20–50 percentage points for hundreds of clients, turning $50,000 awards into $300,000+.
4. Supplemental Job Displacement Benefit (SJDB) – $6,000 Voucher (One-Time)
If your employer cannot offer you modified or alternative work within your permanent restrictions, you qualify for a $6,000 voucher for retraining or education.
This benefit has been $6,000 since 2004 and has not been raised despite inflation.
The voucher can be used at state-approved schools for:
- Vocational training
- Certification programs
- Community college classes
- Tools or licensing fees
You have 5 years from the date of injury (or until the voucher is issued) to use it.
Long-tail keyword: “$6000 workers comp voucher California how to use 2025”
5. Death Benefits – Up to Lifetime Payments for Surviving Spouse & Children
If a worker dies because of a job injury or illness, dependents receive:
- Burial expense up to $10,000
- Weekly payments to total or partial dependents
2025 rates:
- Total dependents (spouse + children): continue until children age out or spouse remarries, then lump-sum remarriage benefit
- One total dependent (no children): Lifetime payments
- Partial dependents: Pro-rated lump sum
Example: A 38-year-old construction worker killed in a trench collapse leaves a wife and two young children. The family receives approximately $320,000 immediately, then weekly payments until the youngest child turns 18—and lifetime payments to the widow if she never remarries.
What Happens When Your Benefits Are About to Run Out?
The 104-week temporary disability clock and permanent disability week caps create enormous pressure on injured workers.
Insurance companies know this. They deliberately delay treatment, schedule depositions at the last minute, and drag out QME appointments to run out your clock.
That’s why you need an aggressive attorney fighting for you from day one.
At Laguna Law Firm, we have forced insurance companies to:
- Authorize delayed surgeries that extend the 104-week cap
- Reopen “closed” medical awards when new complications arise
- Pay lifetime pensions that were wrongly denied
- Negotiate six- and seven-figure settlements (Stipulations or Compromise & Release)
Don’t Go Through This Alone – Laguna Law Firm Is Here for You
If you or a loved one has been injured at work in California and you’re worried about how long your benefits will last, call us today at (949) 930-1386.
We offer:
- Completely free consultations (in person, Zoom, or phone)
- No fee unless we win money for you
- Spanish-speaking staff
- Evening & weekend appointments
- Home or hospital visits
We serve all of Southern California including Orange County, Los Angeles, Inland Empire, San Diego, and the Central Valley.
You fought hard for your employer. Now let us fight hard for you.
Laguna Law Firm
(949) 930-1386
https://lagunalawfirm.com
Your recovery is our priority. Call now—because every week you wait is a week the insurance company wins.
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