A complete guide to the benefits Nebraska law provides to injured workers — medical coverage, wage replacement, permanent disability, vocational rehabilitation, and more. Know your rights. Protect your claim.
Nebraska's workers' compensation system provides several categories of benefits to injured workers. This guide explains each one in plain language.
Full coverage for all reasonable and necessary treatment, your right to choose a doctor, and IMEs
Wage replacement when you cannot work at all during recovery
Wage replacement when you return to work in a reduced capacity
Compensation for lasting impairments — scheduled injuries vs. whole body injuries
Lifetime benefits for workers permanently unable to return to the workforce
Job retraining and placement when you can't return to your previous job
Compensation and burial expenses for surviving dependents
Current rates, fighting denials, and how our firm helps
Answers to the most common questions about Nebraska workers' comp benefits
Section 01
Nebraska workers' compensation covers all reasonable and necessary medical treatment related to your work injury. Unlike health insurance, there are no deductibles, co-pays, or out-of-pocket costs.
Your employer or its workers' compensation insurer is responsible for paying your medical expenses from the date of injury. There is no waiting period for medical care.
Doctor visits, ER care, surgery, hospitalization, specialist referrals
Physical therapy, occupational therapy, rehabilitation programs
Prescription drugs, injections, pain management
X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, EMGs, nerve studies
Prosthetics, braces, crutches, durable medical equipment
Reimbursement for travel to medical appointments at 72.5¢/mile (2026)
Nebraska law allows you to receive treatment from a physician with whom you have an established relationship — either personally or through your family. This is important because employers and insurers often try to direct you to company-selected physicians who may minimize the severity of your injury.
The insurance carrier may require you to see their chosen doctor for a second opinion — an independent medical examination. If the IME doctor disagrees with your treating physician, your benefits may be denied or reduced. IME opinions frequently favor the insurance company.
Section 02
If your work injury prevents you from working entirely while you recover, you are entitled to temporary total disability benefits.
Benefit Rate: 66⅔% of your average weekly wage (AWW) before the injury
How AWW Is Calculated: Based on wages during the 26 weeks prior to injury. Overtime included at straight-time rates.
2026 Maximum Weekly Benefit: $1,166.00
TTD benefits do not begin until you have been unable to work for seven calendar days. Benefits begin on day eight. If disability lasts six weeks or more, the first seven days are paid retroactively. Medical benefits begin immediately — no waiting period.
TTD continues until you are released to return to work or reach maximum medical improvement (MMI).
Section 03
If you return to work in a limited capacity — reduced hours or a lower-paying role — and earn less than your pre-injury wages, you may receive temporary partial disability benefits.
Benefit Rate: 66⅔% of the difference between your pre-injury AWW and your post-injury earnings
Example: Pre-injury AWW of $900/week, light-duty pay of $500/week = TPD benefit of ~$267/week
Maximum Duration: 300 weeks
Section 04
Once your doctor determines your condition has stabilized — maximum medical improvement (MMI) — you may be entitled to permanent partial disability benefits for lasting impairments.
Nebraska law distinguishes between scheduled member injuries and whole body injuries.
Specific body parts listed in the statute. A physician assigns an impairment rating (AMA Guides). Benefits = impairment % × weeks assigned to that body part × 66⅔% of AWW.
| Body Part | Max Weeks | Body Part | Max Weeks |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arm (at/above elbow) | 225 | Shoulder | 225 |
| Hand | 175 | Foot | 150 |
| Leg (at/above knee) | 215 | Eye | 125 |
| Thumb | 60 | Hearing (one ear) | 50 |
| Index finger | 35 | Nose | 50 |
| Middle finger | 30 | Ear | 25 |
| Ring finger | 20 | Great toe | 30 |
| Little finger | 15 | Other toes (each) | 10 |
Injuries to body parts not on the schedule — head, neck, back, internal organs — are compensated based on your loss of earning capacity. The court considers age, education, work history, restrictions, and the labor market. Limited to 300 weeks.
If you sustain injuries to multiple scheduled body parts in the same accident, Nebraska law may allow them to be treated as a whole body injury.
Section 05
If your injury is so severe you are permanently unable to return to the workforce, you may receive lifetime benefits at 66⅔% of your AWW.
Certain injury combinations automatically qualify: total loss of both hands, both arms, both feet, both legs, both eyes, hearing in both ears, or any two in the same accident.
In other cases, you may qualify as an "odd-lot" worker — someone who, while not completely incapacitated, is no longer employable in any well-known branch of the labor market. PTD cases can be settled for the present value of the lifetime obligation.
Section 06
If permanent restrictions prevent you from returning to your previous job, Nebraska law provides vocational rehabilitation services.
New skills training for alternative employment
Additional education or certification programs
Professional assistance finding suitable work
Assessment of transferable skills and options
Insurance carriers often resist providing vocational rehab or try to limit its scope. An attorney can ensure you receive the full range of services you're entitled to.
Section 07
When a worker dies from a work-related injury or occupational disease, benefits are provided to surviving dependents.
Benefits continue to a surviving spouse until death or remarriage. Children receive benefits until age 19, or up to 25 if enrolled in an accredited educational institution.
Section 08
Effective January 1, 2026. Rates are updated annually by the Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court.
The rate that applies to your claim is generally based on the date of your injury. If your wages are less than the minimum weekly benefit, you receive your full weekly wages as compensation.
Being legally entitled to benefits does not mean the insurance carrier will pay willingly. Employers and insurers routinely:
Disputing causation, blaming preexisting conditions
Slow-walking approvals and authorizations
Pushing you back to work before you're ready
Sending you to doctors who minimize your injury
If your claim is denied, Nebraska Workers' Compensation Court offers free mediation. If that fails, you can file a formal petition. You have the right to hire an attorney at any time.
Section 09
Answers to the most common questions about Nebraska workers' compensation benefits.