How Long Can I Receive Workers’ Compensation in Illinois?

An occupational injury can severely affect your health, career, finances, and emotional wellbeing. While workers’ compensation can compensate you for some of those damages, you are back on square one if they are denied. At that point, you should hire Antioch workers’ compensation lawyers to get the compensation you deserve.

The benefits you get will depend on your specific situation. This includes your medical state and your earnings pre injuries.

Temporary Total Disability Benefits

In Illinois, your workers’ compensation claim allows you to get medical treatment for work-based injuries for a specific period. While you are recovering at home, you can also collect temporary total disability benefits or TTD. These are usually two-thirds of your average weekly salary and can last from a few weeks to years.

TTD benefits are paid till you:

• Return to work without any medical restrictions.
• Released back to work with medical conditions.
• You reach the Maximum Medical Improvement (MMI) status. Your doctor will deem you eligible for this status if your medical condition stabilizes to the point that you can work without compromising your health and wellness.

Your TTD can be terminated if your boss gives you a light job that isn’t physically demanding. This can happen whether you return to work or not. You can still be entitled to benefits if your employer cannot accommodate your work restrictions. If your benefits are denied, consult with Antioch workers’ compensation lawyers as soon as possible.

When TTD is Terminated

Once your TTD benefits are terminated, you can still get other workers’ compensation benefits such as the following:

• Maintenance awards that cannot be less than your TTD benefits. These should also include expenses and the costs you need for vocational training (if you need to switch professions because of your physical limitations).
• Wage differential benefits to offset the reduced salary you get in your new position because of your condition.
• Permanent partial disability benefits (PPD) are paid to injured workers as compensation for a permanent work injury as per the body part injured. It is often a lump sum. On the other hand, if your claim has to go to trial first, you may get weekly benefits only. You cannot get weekly and wage differential benefits together either.

Many workers in Illinois and across the nation are told they are ineligible for worker’s compensation for one reason or another. However, not all of them are true. Hardworking employees often get coerced into opting out of those benefits or settling for reduced benefits because of irresponsible and greedy employers and insurance companies.

Contact Robert Edens to Get the Compensation You Deserve

People who file claims months after their injuries never knew they had the right to do so immediately. By the time they file their claim, it is too late. If you think your employer has denied your benefits illegally, get in touch with the Law Offices of Robert T. Edens today. Our Antioch workers’ compensation lawyers have years of experience helping hard workers like you get the benefits they deserve.