Waltham, MA, May 6, 2025 – A new study from the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) finds that total costs per workers’ compensation claim in Delaware remain stable. These costs include three components: indemnity payments for lost wages, medical expenses, and benefit delivery expenses.

“Delaware ranks near the middle of the 18 study states in terms of total costs per claim,” said Sebastian Negrusa, vice president of research at WCRI. “This reflects a mix of lower-than-typical medical payments, typical indemnity benefits, and higher benefit delivery expenses.”

The following are some other findings from the study:

• Higher benefit delivery expenses were primarily driven by more frequent and more costly litigation.
• Total costs per claim increased after 2020, mostly due to increases in duration of temporary disability and workers’ wages.

The CompScope™ Benchmarks for Delaware, 2025 Edition offers an annual overview of changes in indemnity benefits, medical payments, and benefit delivery expenses per claim. It also compares Delaware’s workers’ compensation system with those in 17 other states across these key metrics. The study covers claims through March 2024, focusing on non-COVID-19 claims and examining the effects of pandemic-related disruptions and labor market shifts from 2019 to 2023.

The report was authored by Evelina Radeva and is available for download at https://www.wcrinet.org/reports/compscope-benchmarks-for-delaware-2025-edition.

ABOUT WCRI

The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) is an independent, not-for-profit research organization based in Waltham, MA. Organized in late 1983, the Institute does not take positions on the issues it researches; rather, it provides information obtained through studies and data collection efforts, which conform to recognized scientific methods. Objectivity is further ensured through rigorous, unbiased peer review procedures. WCRI's diverse membership includes employers; insurers; governmental entities; managed care companies; health care providers; insurance regulators; labor organizations; and state administrative agencies in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

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