Injured workers in Illinois are often entitled to financial compensation for medical expenses and lost income through workers’ compensation. If you have been seriously injured at your job and your injuries have permanently prevented you from performing the work duties you performed before the injury, you may be eligible to receive permanent disability benefits. There are two different kinds of permanent disability benefits: permanent partial disability (PPD) and permanent total disability (PTD).

Permanent Partial Disability

A worker who suffered a permanent injury but is only partially impaired may still be able to earn money from their job. However, they may not be able to perform the same job functions as they could before the injury-causing incident. The workers’ compensation benefits for which they qualify will depend on the part of their body that is permanently disabled and how this impairment affects their ability to work. There are several types of partial permanent disability benefits in Illinois. If a worker’s injury allows the worker to obtain a job that pays less, their workers’ compensation benefits will be two-thirds of the difference between their previous income and their new income. If the worker’s disability payments are based on the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act schedule of injuries, the worker receives 60 percent of his or her weekly salary for a number of weeks determined by the schedule. 

Examples of PPD include:

In the first part of this two-part blog series, we discussed how the workers’ compensation benefits for medical costs, temporary total disability (TTD), and temporary partial disability (TPD) payments are calculated. In this part, we will discuss how permanent benefits and death benefits are calculated.

Permanent Benefit Amounts

If an injured worker reaches maximum medical improvement and is still unable to work or do the same work they once did, permanent partial or total disability benefits will likely be awarded. 

There are several methods of calculating permanent partial disability (PPD) benefits: 

Nearly all employers in the state of Illinois are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance to help offset some of the costs of workers being injured. Workers’ compensation provides various benefits to employees when they are injured, including both temporary and permanent benefits for total- and partial-loss injuries. Benefits typically cover medical expenses related to the injury or death benefits if the injury resulted in the worker’s death. The amount of compensation an injured worker receives greatly depends on what the worker was earning at the time of the accident and the outcome of the injury. In this two-part series, we will help you understand how worker’s compensation is determined for injured workers.

Amount of Temporary Benefits

Being injured and unable to work can be an extremely frustrating position to be in. For many families, if a worker is injured, that could have a financial effect on the entire family. One of the first questions you likely have after being injured at work is, “How much will I receive in benefits?” The answer to that question depends on a variety of factors, like the nature of the injury, how severe it is, the effect the injury has on your ability to work and how much you are able to earn, and how much you earned before the accident.

Medical benefits - The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Handbook states that most medical services are subject to a fee schedule. This means that the employer pays either the actual cost of the medical provider’s charge, or the amount that has been determined on the fee schedule, whichever is less.

Originally published: March 3, 2020

UPDATE: A year ago, the United States was in the middle of the worst part of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the situation surrounding the coronavirus has been rapidly changing. Many places of business closed because of the pandemic, though there were individuals who still had to report to work because their jobs were deemed to provide essential services. This past June, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker signed a bill adding protections for essential workers to the Illinois Workers’ Occupational Diseases Act.

No matter the job, no matter the field, Illinois workers’ compensation exists to provide assistance to those who are injured at work. Nearly all employers in the state of Illinois are required to carry workers' compensation insurance, with minor exceptions. If you are hurt on the job, your employer is supposed to report your injury to the Workers’ Compensation Commission so your benefits can begin, though employers often attempt to deny workers’ compensation claims, even if they have merit. A workers’ compensation lawyer can help you claim your benefits if your employer does not want to cooperate.

Benefits Provided by Workers’ Compensation

To better ensure that you receive benefits in a timely manner, you must report your injury to your employer within 45 days of the accident or at the earliest time possible. The types of benefits you receive will depend on the extent of your injuries. Workers’ compensation benefits include:

• Medical Expenses: If you are injured and you require medical care, your employer is responsible for paying for those expenses. Workers’ compensation medical benefits cover a variety of things, including emergency room visits, doctor’s visits, hospital stays, surgeries, chiropractic treatment, prescription medications, and even some medical devices.

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