Miss this number, and a work injury can cost far more than your paycheck. If the weekly amount used in your claim is too low, every disability check tied to it may be too low too. Average weekly wage is the worker's usual pre-injury weekly earnings, calculated from wages earned over a set period before the injury. Depending on the law and the facts, it can include more than hourly pay alone, such as overtime, bonuses, or other regular earnings.

In practical terms, this figure is the starting point for many workers' compensation benefits. It often determines how much an injured worker receives for lost wages during recovery, including temporary total disability or temporary partial disability. A small payroll error, missing overtime, or confusion about second jobs can change the benefit amount for weeks or months.

In Hawaii, wage-loss benefits under the Workers' Compensation Law, Hawaii Revised Statutes Chapter 386, are closely tied to earnings before the injury. If the insurer or employer uses the wrong pay period or leaves out regular income, the claim can be undervalued from the start. Pay stubs, tax records, and employer payroll reports can all matter. When that number looks off, challenge it quickly before underpayments pile up and become harder to fix.