How Long Does Workers’ Comp Last in Glendale, AZ? Duration & Deadlines

Posted in Workers' Compensation on June 22, 2026

Key Takeaways

The duration of workers’ comp in Arizona depends on injury severity, disability type, and whether MMI has been reached.
Arizona workers must file a compensation claim within one year of the injury or when the injury becomes apparent.
Temporary total disability benefits continue until the injured worker reaches maximum medical improvement.
Permanent disability benefits may continue for years or for a worker’s lifetime, depending on the impairment rating assigned.
Medical coverage under Arizona law continues as long as treatment is reasonably required to address the work-related injury.

A workplace injury changes everything in a single shift. Medical bills accumulate, time away from work creates financial strain, and the question most injured workers reach quickly is not just whether they qualify for benefits but for how long. How long does workers’ comp last is one of the most common questions we hear, and the answer depends on factors most people do not understand until they are already in the middle of a claim.

At Crossman Law Offices, a Glendale Workers Compensation attorney helps injured workers across Arizona understand what they are entitled to and how to protect those rights from the beginning.

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Timelines of an Arizona Workers’ Compensation Claim

The first deadline an injured worker faces is reporting the injury to the employer. Delayed reporting gives insurance carriers the opportunity to dispute a claim, and the gap between the accident and the report can make establishing causation significantly harder. Arizona law does not set a rigid number of days for this step, but acting promptly can protect the integrity of the claim from the start.

Filing the claim itself is subject to a strict statutory deadline. Under Arizona Revised Statutes § 23-1061, a compensation claim must be submitted in writing within one year after the injury occurred, or within one year from the point when the injury became apparent or when a reasonable person should have recognized it as work-related. That one-year window runs from the date of injury or discovery, not from the date of diagnosis. Missing that deadline typically eliminates the right to benefits entirely, regardless of the injury’s severity.

Once the claim is accepted, the carrier must issue the first payment no later than 21 days after written notification by the commission. From that point forward, payments continue at least every two weeks throughout the temporary disability period, providing injured workers with a predictable structure while they recover.

Please read: Falls in the Workplace: Understanding Your Rights to Workers’ Comp in Arizona

Understanding Benefit Duration by Disability Type

Arizona classifies work injuries into four categories, and each carries its own rules for how long benefits continue. The category assigned to a claim directly impacts the total value of the case and the length of time a worker receives financial support.

Temporary Total Disability (TTD): The worker cannot perform any work. Benefits continue until the worker returns to employment or reaches maximum medical improvement.
Temporary Partial Disability (TPD): The worker can perform limited duties but not their full pre-injury role. Benefits reflect the wage difference between pre-injury earnings and current earning capacity, and end at MMI.
Permanent Partial Disability (PPD): The injury leaves lasting functional limitations, but the worker retains some earning capacity. Duration depends on the assigned impairment rating and the affected body part. Some PPD awards run for a fixed period; others are calculated based on ongoing wage loss.
Permanent Total Disability (PTD): The injury permanently prevents the worker from engaging in any gainful employment; these benefits typically continue for the worker’s lifetime.

Understanding how long workers’ comp lasts comes down to which category applies to the claim, and that classification is not always made correctly the first time.

The Role of “Maximum Medical Improvement” (MMI)

Maximum medical improvement is the point at which a treating physician determines that an injured worker’s condition has stabilized and further treatment is not expected to produce meaningful recovery. Reaching MMI does not mean being fully healed. A worker can arrive at that milestone while still experiencing pain, functional limitations, or permanent work restrictions.

MMI is the central turning point in any claim. Before it, the worker receives temporary benefits and ongoing medical care. After it, the case moves toward a permanent disability rating, a settlement, or closure. Minor injuries may reach MMI within weeks, while cases involving surgery or extended rehabilitation can push that point out by a year or more.

Important information about When To Get A Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

How Long Does Medical Coverage Last?

Medical benefits in Arizona are not time-capped the way wage replacement benefits are. Under Arizona Revised Statutes § 23-1062, injured employees are entitled to medical, surgical, and hospital benefits for as long as treatment remains reasonably necessary to address the work-related condition.

That does not mean carriers approve every request. Disputes over medical necessity are common, and workers without representation often find coverage reduced before they understand what they were owed. Travel reimbursement is also available when a worker must travel more than 25 miles from their residence to obtain care, a benefit many Glendale workers never claim.

Speak With a Glendale Workers Compensation Lawyer

Benefits can be disputed, reduced, or terminated at any stage of a claim, often without warning. At Crossman Law Offices, we work with injured workers across Glendale to make sure claims are filed on time, deadlines are protected, and every available benefit is pursued through each stage of the process. Contact us today at (602) 248-0380 to speak with a Glendale Workers Compensation attorney and get clear answers about: how long does workers comp last in your specific situation?.

Avery N Crossman

Ms. Crossman is a State Bar Board Certified Workers’ Compensation Specialist and is past Co-Chair of the State Bar Workers’ Compensation Section. She has served as a faculty member at the State Bar Seminar on Professionalism and is a former Judge Pro Tempore in the Arizona County, Justice, and Superior Courts. In the past, she has spoken at seminars on Workers’ Compensation sponsored by the Industrial Commission of Arizona and the Arizona Association of Lawyers for Injured Workers. Ms.Crossman is a long-time member of the Arizona Association of Lawyers for Injured Workers. She is also a member of American Mensa.