Unusual Work Injuries Leading to Workers’ Compensation Claims

When it comes to workplace compensation injuries, most refer to specific body parts where the injured employee is eligible to receive a statutorily scheduled monetary compensation. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, includes all injuries that could arise within the workplace – injuries that are related to the work an employee performs or other work-related injuries sustained outside of the workplace.

In Illinois, most employers are required to provide workers’ compensation insurance for all workers. Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, employers are liable to provide the following benefits to employees who suffer an injury on the job:

• Total disability benefits equating to the 2/3^rdof the workers’ average gross weekly wage for the entire time the employee is incapacitated.
• Permanent total disability benefits if an employee loses a body part during work or while conducting a job outside the workplace premises.
• Rehabilitation expenses, including medical expenses
• Giving an injured employee light-duty jobs

Most injuries covered by the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act are liable for compensation. However, there are certain injuries that are unusual, where an employee was rightly awarded a benefit’s compensation. These injuries are known as non-scheduled injuries. Here is a list of some of the injuries that could be covered under workers’ compensation.

Mental Stress that Leads to Physical Injury

If you find yourself under undue mental stress at work, and if that negative stimulus leads to a physical injury, you could be eligible for workers’ compensation. Talk to a competent workers’ compensation attorney to highlight your work-related injuries. A mental physical injury arises when a worker develops a heart problem due to workplace stress.

Injuries caused by Mental Stress

Over time, overworked and stressed workers can suffer from mental illness. These psychological illnesses are caused by the negative stimulus they receive. The stimulus can be harassment or bullying from co-workers or superior officers, unusual work-related tasks that are not a part of the job description, and undue stress at work. Some mental health injuries could be covered under workers’ compensation if you have a skilled workers’ compensation attorney who represents all aspects of your injuries in court.

If you wish to find out more about workers’ compensation and unusual injuries in Illinois, schedule a free consultation, contact the offices of Robert Edens at (847) 395-2200 to speak with an experienced personal injury lawyer.

See more on our Illinois Workers’ Compensation FAQs page.