Key Takeaway
NY workers' comp now reimburses 76¢/mile for travel on or after July 1, 2026 (72.5¢ before). Which trips qualify, the records that get you paid, and what to do when the carrier stalls.
This article is part of our ongoing workers' compensation coverage, with 3 published articles analyzing workers' compensation issues across New York State. Attorney Jason Tenenbaum brings 24+ years of hands-on experience to this analysis, drawing from his work on more than 1,000 appeals, over 100,000 no-fault cases, and recovery of over $100 million for clients throughout Nassau County, Suffolk County, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, and the Bronx. For personalized legal advice about how these principles apply to your specific situation, contact our Long Island office at (516) 750-0595 for a free consultation.
Most injured workers in New York never collect a dollar of travel reimbursement — not because they aren’t owed it, but because nobody told them it exists, the rate changed mid-year, and the carrier isn’t going to volunteer it.
Here is the current rule, plainly: for eligible claim-related travel in your personal vehicle on or after July 1, 2026, the reimbursement rate is 76 cents per mile. For eligible travel from January 1 through June 30, 2026, the rate was 72.5 cents per mile. The Workers’ Compensation Board announced the revision on August 4, 2026 (Subject No. 150-18.1R), tracking the mid-year federal rate change — which means a single 2026 claim can involve two different rates depending on trip dates.
Round trips add up faster than people expect. Physical therapy three times a week at 14 miles round-trip is roughly $32 a week at the new rate — over $1,600 a year — for driving you were doing anyway.
Key Takeaways
- • 76¢/mile for eligible personal-vehicle travel on or after July 1, 2026; 72.5¢/mile for Jan 1–Jun 30, 2026 trips. Split your 2026 log at July 1.
- • The classic reimbursable trips: travel to medical treatment for the work injury and to examinations you're directed to attend (including IMEs).
- • Reimbursement is not automatic — you submit the request to the carrier with a mileage log; unclaimed miles usually stay unclaimed.
- • Keep the log contemporaneous: date, destination, purpose, round-trip miles. Appointment records corroborate it.
- • A carrier that ignores documented travel requests is a problem your hearing can fix — raise it, don't absorb it.
Which trips are reimbursable
When an injured worker is entitled to travel reimbursement on a claim, the rate above applies to personal-vehicle travel. In practice, the trips that matter on nearly every claim:
- Treatment for the work injury — doctor visits, physical therapy, diagnostic imaging, pharmacy trips tied to the claim, surgery follow-ups.
- Examinations you are directed to attend — independent medical examinations (IMEs) the carrier schedules, and Board-directed exams. If they can make you drive there, the miles are part of the claim.
The travel has to be reasonable — the nearby provider, not a spa-length detour — and it has to be connected to the compensable injury. Public-transit fares and tolls/parking connected to eligible trips belong in the same request; keep the receipts.
The mid-year split every 2026 log needs
Because the rate changed effective July 1, a 2026 reimbursement request should be organized in two blocks:
| Trip dates | Rate | Example: 14-mile round trip |
|---|---|---|
| Jan 1 – Jun 30, 2026 | 72.5¢/mile | $10.15 |
| On or after Jul 1, 2026 | 76¢/mile | $10.64 |
Submitting everything at the old rate shortchanges you; submitting everything at the new rate invites the carrier to bounce the whole request. Two subtotals, one request.
How to actually get paid
- Keep a contemporaneous mileage log. Date · where · why (PT, ortho follow-up, IME) · round-trip miles. A phone note or the mileage form works; what matters is that it's kept as you go, not reconstructed a year later.
- Anchor every trip to a record. Appointment confirmations, visit summaries, and the IME notice line up with your log and make it hard to dispute.
- Submit to the carrier periodically — monthly or quarterly beats a shoebox at settlement time. Use the carrier's/Board's expense form, keep a copy, and note the date sent.
- Track the response. Paid? Fine. Silence or denial on documented trips? That belongs in front of the judge at your next hearing — reimbursement disputes are exactly the kind of issue counsel raises alongside the bigger ones.
- Don't forget tolls, parking, and transit fares on eligible trips — receipts attached.
Where mileage fits in the bigger claim
Travel money is real but small. It’s also a signal: a carrier that stalls on documented mileage is usually applying the same posture to your wage benefits, treatment authorizations, and degree-of-disability disputes — the parts of the claim worth orders of magnitude more. If reimbursement requests are disappearing into a void, treat it as a reason to have the whole file reviewed, not just the travel line.
Our workers’ compensation practice handles claims across Long Island — benefit disputes, treatment denials, IME pushback, and the settlement decisions where every underpaid line item, mileage included, finally gets counted. If your injury also involves a third party (a driver who hit you on the job, a defective machine, a negligent contractor), the comp claim is only half the picture — see our personal injury practice on when both cases run together.
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Carrier Slow-Walking Your Comp Claim?
Unreimbursed travel, delayed checks, denied treatment — these usually travel together. We review the whole file and deal with the carrier so you can focus on recovery.
Call (516) 750-0595 or request a free case review.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the current NY workers’ comp mileage rate?
76 cents per mile for eligible personal-vehicle travel on or after July 1, 2026, per the Workers’ Compensation Board’s August 4, 2026 bulletin (Subject No. 150-18.1R). Trips from January 1 through June 30, 2026 are reimbursed at the prior rate of 72.5 cents per mile.
Does the carrier pay mileage automatically?
No. You submit the request with your log and supporting records. Carriers pay what’s claimed and documented; miles you never submit are simply gone, and there’s no obligation for the carrier to remind you.
Is travel to an IME reimbursable?
Travel to examinations you’re directed to attend — including carrier-scheduled IMEs — is the textbook reimbursable trip. Log it like any treatment visit and attach the exam notice.
How far back can I claim unclaimed mileage?
Submit as far back as your documentation supports — but don’t test the limits by hoarding years of trips. Periodic submission avoids staleness fights, and if the carrier balks at a documented back-request, that dispute can be raised in your case. When in doubt, have counsel review what’s recoverable.
What if the carrier just doesn’t respond?
Document the submission (date, method, copy kept) and raise it — through counsel or at your next hearing. Non-response to documented expense requests is a compliance issue, and judges see it as part of the carrier’s overall handling of your claim.
Do rideshare or public-transit costs count?
Eligible trips aren’t limited to your own car — reasonable actual costs like transit fares (and tolls/parking on vehicle trips) belong in the request with receipts. The 76¢ figure is specifically the personal-vehicle rate.
Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Rates and eligibility are set by the NYS Workers’ Compensation Board and applied case-by-case; this article is general information, not legal advice. Our workers’ compensation practice serves injured workers across Long Island. Call (516) 750-0595.
Legal Context
Why This Matters for Your Case
New York's Workers' Compensation Law provides benefits to employees injured on the job, regardless of fault. The system covers medical treatment, lost wages (typically two-thirds of average weekly wages subject to a statutory maximum), and permanency awards for lasting disabilities. Claims are filed with the Workers' Compensation Board, where administrative law judges hear contested cases.
However, employers and their insurers frequently challenge claims through Independent Medical Examinations, surveillance investigations, and appeals to the Workers' Compensation Board panel. Attorney Jason Tenenbaum has represented injured workers throughout Long Island and New York City for over 24 years, handling everything from initial claim filings through Board hearings, Third Department appeals, and third-party personal injury lawsuits against property owners and contractors. This article provides the expert legal analysis that workers and practitioners need to navigate the complexities of New York workers' compensation law.
About This Topic
Workers Compensation Law in New York
New York's workers compensation system provides benefits for employees injured on the job, covering medical treatment, lost wages, and disability payments regardless of fault. But navigating the Workers Compensation Board process, understanding benefit calculations, and overcoming employer and insurer challenges requires experienced legal guidance. These articles analyze workers compensation case law, the intersection of workers comp with personal injury claims, and the procedural requirements that govern the system.
3 published articles in Workers' Compensation
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Common Questions About This Topic
6 answers from the firm's New York personal-injury and employment-law practice. Click any question to expand.
What is the current NY workers' comp mileage rate?
76 cents per mile for eligible personal-vehicle travel on or after July 1, 2026, per the Workers' Compensation Board's August 4, 2026 bulletin (Subject No. 150-18.1R). Trips from January 1 through June 30, 2026 are reimbursed at the prior rate of 72.5 cents per mile.
Does the carrier pay mileage automatically?
No. You submit the request with your log and supporting records. Carriers pay what's claimed and documented; miles you never submit are simply gone, and there's no obligation for the carrier to remind you.
Is travel to an IME reimbursable?
Travel to examinations you're directed to attend — including carrier-scheduled IMEs — is the textbook reimbursable trip. Log it like any treatment visit and attach the exam notice.
How far back can I claim unclaimed mileage?
Submit as far back as your documentation supports — but don't test the limits by hoarding years of trips. Periodic submission avoids staleness fights, and if the carrier balks at a documented back-request, that dispute can be raised in your case. When in doubt, have counsel review what's recoverable.
What if the carrier just doesn't respond?
Document the submission (date, method, copy kept) and raise it — through counsel or at your next hearing. Non-response to documented expense requests is a compliance issue, and judges see it as part of the carrier's overall handling of your claim.
Do rideshare or public-transit costs count?
Eligible trips aren't limited to your own car — reasonable actual costs like transit fares (and tolls/parking on vehicle trips) belong in the request with receipts. The 76¢ figure is specifically the personal-vehicle rate. --- *Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Rates and eligibility are set by the NYS Workers' Compensation Board and applied case-by-case; this article is general information, not legal advice. Our workers' compensation practice serves injured workers across Long Island. Call (516) 750-0595.*
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About the Author
Jason Tenenbaum, Esq.
Jason Tenenbaum is the founding attorney of the Law Office of Jason Tenenbaum, P.C., headquartered at 326 Walt Whitman Road, Suite C, Huntington Station, New York 11746. With over 24 years of experience since founding the firm in 2002, Jason has written more than 1,000 appeals, handled over 100,000 no-fault insurance cases, and recovered over $100 million for clients across Long Island, Nassau County, Suffolk County, Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island. He is one of the few attorneys in the state who both writes his own appellate briefs and tries his own cases.
Jason is admitted to practice in New York, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, Georgia, and Michigan state courts, as well as multiple federal courts. His 2,353+ published legal articles analyzing New York case law, procedural developments, and litigation strategy make him one of the most prolific legal commentators in the state. He earned his Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law.
Disclaimer: This article is published by the Law Office of Jason Tenenbaum, P.C. for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is formed by reading this content. The legal principles discussed may not apply to your specific situation, and the law may have changed since this article was last updated.
New York law varies by jurisdiction — court decisions in one Appellate Division department may not be followed in another, and local court rules in Nassau County Supreme Court differ from those in Suffolk County Supreme Court, Kings County Civil Court, or Queens County Supreme Court. The Appellate Division, Second Department (which covers Long Island, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island) and the Appellate Term (which hears appeals from lower courts) each have distinct procedural requirements and precedents that affect litigation strategy.
If you need legal help with a workers' compensation matter, contact our office at (516) 750-0595 for a free consultation. We serve clients throughout Long Island (Huntington, Babylon, Islip, Brookhaven, Smithtown, Riverhead, Southampton, East Hampton), Nassau County (Hempstead, Garden City, Mineola, Great Neck, Manhasset, Freeport, Long Beach, Rockville Centre, Valley Stream, Westbury, Hicksville, Massapequa), Suffolk County (Hauppauge, Deer Park, Bay Shore, Central Islip, Patchogue, Brentwood), Queens, Brooklyn, Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, and Westchester County. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.