Sourcing: primary first
State-specific claims — deadlines, benefit formulas, doctor-choice rules, agency contacts — are researched from primary sources: state statutes and administrative codes, the official publications of state workers' compensation agencies, and appellate decisions that define how rules work in practice. Where practitioners' consensus matters (how a rule really plays out), we say so in the text rather than presenting practice as statute.
We deliberately hedge where the law hedges. Words like "generally," "in most states," and "with exceptions" are not weakness — they're accuracy. Any site that states fifty states' law without them is overpromising.
Plain language, by rule
- Every page is written the way you'd explain it to a family member — then edited to be shorter.
- Jargon gets defined on contact, and again in the glossary (150 terms and growing; en español también).
- No fear-based urgency, no outcome promises, no "you may be entitled to significant compensation" bait. Deadlines are presented as facts with calendars, not sirens.
- Reading level targets everyday adult readers; accessibility targets WCAG 2.2 AA across the site (contrast, keyboard operation, screen-reader semantics).
"Reviewed" dates, explained
Every substantive page displays a Reviewed date — the last time its contents were checked against current sources. Statutory numbers (deadlines, caps, formulas) get priority in each review cycle because they change most and matter most. A page's age is information you're entitled to; that's why it's printed at the top, not hidden in a sitemap.
The expert-review program
Our goal is for every state guide to carry named review by an attorney licensed in that state. The program is rolling out; guides that have received attorney review will display the reviewer's name and license state on the page. Until a page carries that byline, treat it as what it honestly is: carefully researched education from primary sources, verified against official agency publications — and verify anything decision-critical with your state agency or a licensed attorney.
Attorneys: if you're licensed in a U.S. jurisdiction, practice workers' compensation, and want to review your state's guide (credited, linked, and appreciated), write to hello@workinjurypayout.com with your bar number and state.
Corrections policy
We correct errors quickly and without defensiveness. Deadline-related errors are treated as urgent. To report one, email hello@workinjurypayout.com with the page and the issue; corrections that change a page's substance refresh its Reviewed date. We'd rather be corrected than quietly wrong — every fix helps the next worker who searches.
Independence
No law firm, insurer, or medical provider pays for placement, mentions, or favorable framing anywhere on this site. Statements like "this is the moment a lawyer makes sense" reflect how the system works, not a commercial relationship. The platform's funding is described plainly on the About page.
How the tools behave
Our calculators teach principles with illustrative math; they are labeled as educational and never present themselves as case valuations. Interactive tools (checklists, the claim journal, the Claim Confidence Score™) run entirely in your browser and save only to your device — the privacy policy details this.