Workers’ compensation is a system designed to compensate employees who are injured at work. In Illinois, there are three main benefits provided to workers’ compensation claimants:
- The first benefit is to have complete payment of any work accident-related medical bills. There should not be any medical co-pays needed for these expenses. The medical bills must be reasonable, so an employer will not be expected to pay for your hypnotherapy sessions with Madame Clio even if you claim they aid your recovery.
- The next benefit is called temporary total disability payments (TTD). This will include two-thirds of an employee’s weekly salary being paid. There is a cap on total benefits, but most employees will not reach such a cap. Additionally the employer may also choose to pay all or a portion of an employee’s current salary. High income earners who have their salary continued may not be able to receive TTD benefits. Note that this salary payment is not required—an employer may be able to subtract the current paid salary from the final award amount. Typically employers will continue to pay with less contentious claims. An employee in this situation should be temporarily disabled and unable to work, or is able to work but the employer is not able to accommodate the restrictions placed by the injured person’s doctor. TTD benefits will be paid three days after an employee has been determined unable to work. There is no time limit on these benefits however it is assumed that an employee will continue to update their insurance and the employer on the status of their injury. Once an employer has started to pay TTD, they cannot stop unless it is for cause.
- Finally, the last set of benefits is for partial permanent disability or PPD. This will come when the parties are ready to settle. A simple formula of the cost of medical expenses and the time off work will be used to determine the value of the case. Note that PPD may not be paid out in smaller cases where an employee is expected to completely recover from the injury.
This article is for general informational purposes only and is not to be construed as legal advice. Do not rely on the above information as all cases are different and different laws apply to different cases. Consult an attorney in your area for further guidance.