Workers' Comp Mileage Reimbursement in New York (C-257 Form)

When you're hurt on the job in New York, the insurance carrier pays for your medical treatment — but treatment means trips. Drives to your doctor, to physical therapy, to an Independent Medical Exam, and to the pharmacy all add up, and that gas and mileage comes out of your pocket first. The good news: New York workers' compensation reimburses you for that travel. You just have to ask for it the right way.

This guide explains what travel is reimbursable on a New York workers' comp claim, the mileage rate the Board uses, how to file the C-257 form to get your money back, and the deadline you shouldn't miss.

What Travel Is Reimbursable?

New York workers' compensation reimburses the necessary travel and out-of-pocket expenses you incur because of your established work injury. In general, that includes mileage and related costs for trips that are part of treating your claim:

• Doctor and specialist visits — travel to and from appointments with your authorized treating providers
• Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and diagnostic testing — MRIs, X-rays, EMGs, and similar
• Independent Medical Exams (IMEs) — travel to the exam the carrier sends you to also counts
• The pharmacy — trips to fill prescriptions for your work injury
• Surgery and hospital visits related to the claim

Beyond mileage, the C-257 also lets you claim related travel costs and out-of-pocket medical expenses, such as:

• Tolls and parking at the appointment
• Public transit, taxi, or rideshare fares when you can't drive
• Prescription co-pays and the cost of medications you paid for yourself
• Medical supplies and equipment you bought out of pocket for the injury

The Mileage Rate

New York reimburses travel on a workers' compensation claim at the IRS standard business mileage rate in effect on the date you traveled. The IRS resets this rate every year, so the rate that applies to your trip is the one in force when you made it — not when you file.

For 2025, the IRS standard mileage rate was 70 cents per mile. The 2026 rate is set separately by the IRS, so confirm the current figure when you total your miles for the year.

The C-257 Form

The C-257 — the Claimant's Record of Medical and Travel Expenses and Request for Reimbursement — is the form you use to ask for your travel and out-of-pocket money back. It is essentially a ledger: you list each trip and expense, the form totals what you're owed, and you file it to start the reimbursement.

What goes on the C-257

• Your name and your WCB case number
• The date of each trip or expense
• Where you traveled (the provider or pharmacy)
• The round-trip miles for each trip
• Tolls, parking, transit fares, prescriptions, and other out-of-pocket costs
• The totals the form calculates from your entries

How to file the C-257

1. Complete the form with every trip and expense, and attach copies of your receipts.
2. File it with the Workers' Compensation Board — through your online Board account, by mail, or by fax to the Board.
3. Serve a copy on the insurance carrier. The carrier is the one that actually pays you, so it needs your request and your receipts to issue payment.
4. Keep a copy of everything you submit for your records.

If the carrier doesn't reimburse you, or disputes what you've claimed, the issue can be raised before a Workers' Compensation Law Judge — the same way any other dispute on your claim is handled.

The Deadline

Don't let your reimbursement requests pile up. You should submit your C-257 within one year of the travel or expense. Waiting longer invites the carrier to question old trips, and the further out you go, the harder it is to reconstruct exact dates and mileage from memory.

Common Mistakes That Cost Workers Money

• Not tracking trips. The single biggest reason workers lose out on mileage is simply never logging it. Start a log on day one.
• Tossing receipts. No receipt, no reimbursement for tolls, parking, and prescriptions. Photograph each one.
• Using the wrong rate. Applying this year's rate to last year's trips — or guessing — invites a dispute. Use the IRS rate for the date of travel.
• Only filing the form with the Board. The carrier pays you, so it must get a copy and your receipts too.
• Waiting until the end of the case. Old, undocumented trips are the easiest for a carrier to challenge. File periodically.

Where This Fits in Your Claim

Mileage reimbursement is one piece of a properly run workers' comp claim. It only applies once your claim is established and your treatment is for the accepted injury, so the foundation matters. If you haven't filed yet, start with our guide on how to file a workers' comp claim in New York. To make sure you're treating with the right provider — whose reports the Board will accept and whose appointments generate reimbursable trips — use our free Find a Workers' Comp Doctor tool.

Frequently Asked Questions