ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH ILLINOIS WORKERS’ COMPENSATION BENEFITS?

Illinois workers who suffer injuries at work need help and support during the recovery period. The right support might feel as if it’s out of reach, and this may be because a victim of a workplace accident is not aware of his or her right to file for workers’ compensation benefits. Although it is important for workers to familiarize themselves with the workers’ comp system when they are healthy, it is not too late to do so after injury.

No matter the type of workplace injury, an injured worker can only receive the maximum benefits if he or she reports the injury to an employer within 45 days of its onset. The time limit for submitting a claim to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission is much longer. Victims have three years to actually file claims. However, filing sooner rather than later is useful for getting benefits during sooner rather than later.

Those benefits actually cover a number of different things, including medical care to either cure or relieve a victim’s injury. If an injury completely disables a worker, then he or she could get temporary total disability benefits. Other benefits include temporary partial disability, permanent partial disability, permanent total disability and death benefits. The family members who survive a worker killed in a workplace accident are the only ones who can qualify for death benefits.

Since Illinois employers with at least one employee are required to purchase workers’ compensation insurance, virtually every worker can access benefits when needed. Unfortunately, it is usually much easier to submit a workers’ compensation claim than it is to actually get those benefits. Filing as soon as possible give can give a victim the opportunity to appeal a denial, after which he or she might have an improved opportunity for getting those benefits. The process can be complicated though, and there are important deadlines that cannot be missed, so it is generally a good idea to seek guidance when needed.