The Illinois workers’ compensation system requires employers and/or their insurance carriers to pay certain benefits to their employees for any injuries and illnesses they sustain during the course and scope of their employment. So if you have been hurt performing the duties of your job in Illinois, you are likely entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits. This naturally begs the question, “What workers’ compensation benefits can I receive?” Let GWC explain.
Core Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Illinois
Generally, there are three core benefits that are potentially available for injured workers under the Illinois workers’ compensation system:
- Medical Benefits – You are entitled to bill payment for reasonable, related medical treatment for your work injury, covered 100 percent by your employer or your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier.
- Temporary Total Disability (TTD) Benefits – These payments are issued by your employer or its workers’ compensation insurance carrier in the event that your doctor has determined that you are unable to work because of your injury. TTD payments are typically equal to two-thirds of your average weekly wage. TTD benefits will be paid until one of the following conditions is met:
a. You are released back to work without medical restrictions;
b. You are released back to work with medical restrictions; or
c. You have reached Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI), meaning that your medical condition has been stabilized to the point that no major changes in your health can be expected.
If you are released to return to your old job or to a less physically demanding “light duty” position that your employer can accommodate, TTD will be terminated regardless of whether you actually do return to work. If you have work restrictions that your employer cannot accommodate, however, you may potentially be entitled to further TTD payments. - Permanent Partial Disability (PPD) Benefits – You may receive compensation for the permanent nature of a work injury based upon the body part injured, if applicable. PPD benefits are generally paid out as lump-sum settlements, though if your workers’ compensation case needs to go to trial before an arbitrator, you may only be awarded weekly PPD benefits, not a lump sum.
Additional Workers’ Compensation Benefits
While Medical, TTD, and PPD represent the core benefits of the Illinois workers’ compensation system, they are not the only ones potentially available to you if you have been injured in the course of your employment. Depending on your circumstances, you may be entitled to receive:
- Vocational Training – You may take advantage of this benefit if you need to change professions because of physical limitations stemming from your work injury.
- Maintenance Benefits – These benefits should not be less than your TTD rate and should also include the costs and expenses incidental to your vocational training program, if applicable.
- Wage Differential Benefits – If you take on a new job that is different from the one that you can no longer do because of your work injury, these benefits are designed to offset the economic impairment of the reduction in the wages that you earn.
- Death Benefits – If you die as the direct result of your on-the-job injuries, these benefits may be available to your living spouse and/or any dependents
Additionally, you may be able to take advantage of group health insurance benefits, unemployment compensation, and Social Security and Disability benefits, among others.
How Can I Ensure That I Receive My Workers’ Compensation Benefits?
Not all of the above workers’ compensation benefits are available to all injured workers. Every workers’ compensation case is different, with different injured workers’ requiring different types of benefits and degrees of compensation. With that in mind, to help ensure that you receive the full workers’ compensation benefits that your case merits, consider seeking out the guidance of an experienced and knowledgeable workers’ compensation attorney, such as the Illinois workers’ compensation attorneys at GWC.
GWC is one of the premier Workers’ Compensation and Personal Injury law firms in Illinois, with over $2 billion recovered for our clients and offices throughout the state.
If you have been injured at work, please contact GWC today to schedule a no-cost, no-obligation consultation with one of our workers’ compensation attorneys. Call us at (312) 464-1234 or click here to chat with one of our representatives at any time.
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