Chicago Workers' Compensation Attorney – (847) 893-9912
After you are injured on-the-job or in a way that is work-related, you might be able to collect workers' compensation benefits depending on your eligibility. Workers' compensation benefits in Illinois are typically comprised of financial payments equal to two-thirds of the employee's usual pay rate and on the same pay schedule. Complications can arise when an insurance company does not offer the correct amount of compensation benefits, or denied the claim entirely.
Chiapelli Law Offices and our Chicago workers' compensation attorneys can help you understand workers' compensation benefits and fight for them in and out of court. Contact our firm today to begin.
Temporary & Permanent Disability Benefits
Workers' compensation benefits in Illinois will be rewarded to employees based on whether they are expected to be able to return to work, or if they will never be able to return to the same occupation or any occupation due to the extent of their injuries. The former is known as temporary disability benefits, and the latter is permanent disability benefits, which can be further divided into total or partial.
What sort of workers' compensation benefit category should you be granted for your workplace injury?
- Temporary disability: Your doctor expects that you can return to work within a reasonable amount of time in relation to the injury severity. The benefits will continue until you are declared to have reached your maximum medical improvement (MMI). Illinois does not require workers' compensation to be paid for your first three days of missed work unless you eventually miss 14 total days. The current weekly benefit cap is set at $1,435.17; this number is recalculated twice a year for inflation and cost of living. You can return to “light-duty” work and still receive temporary disability benefits.
- Permanent total: Your doctor does not expect you to ever return to any sort of work, no matter how much time transpires. You will receive disability payments each week for the rest of your life. Only the most severe of injury cases will likely be granted permanent total disability.
- Permanent partial: Your doctor states that you will never fully recover from your work-related injury but could feasibly return to work, perhaps with retraining. Illinois uses four schedules of permanent partial disability benefits, each rewarding different amounts for different types of disabilities.
Many workers' compensation claims are challenged by insurers not because they do not believe the accident occurred in a work-related context but rather because they do not believe a certain level of disability occurred. Our workers' compensation lawyers in Chicago can help you form an argument and construct a case that proves your injuries' severity and your need for a fair level of benefits.
Workers' Comp Benefits That May Be Available to You
When an injured worker is given workers' compensation benefits, the amount should cover any necessary medical bills and a portion of the lost wages (2/3). Any sort of benefit or compensation beyond that will vary between one case and the next. You might not be initially offered a form of compensation you believe is necessary, and may need our help to fight for it.
Additional types of compensation available in Illinois but not guaranteed are:
- Disfigurement awards
- Wage differential
- Mileage reimbursement
- Employment retraining
- Survivors benefits
- Funeral and burial costs
Seek Justice & Compensation with Confidence – Call (847) 893-9912
Our Chicago and Arlington Heights workers' compensation attorneys make it simple for you to stand up to unjust employers and insurance companies that do not want to provide you with the compensation benefits you need and deserve. We are highly rated on Avvo for our skills, ethics, and client-focused approach to casework. Whether you need permanent total disability benefits or just temporary disability benefits for a comparatively minor injury, we are the legal team you can trust to manage your case responsibly from start to finish.