Ensure You’re Protected Under Illinois Workers’ Compensation

Any time someone is injured and undergoes medical treatment, there is that immediate fear of, “Oh no! Now I’m going to be hit with more medical bills.” If you do have health insurance, you still have copays to cover, and you still may receive bills not covered by your provider. If you don’t have health insurance, you’re about to be responsible for potentially thousands of dollars of bills. You also may have saved up a lot of money and now fear that your savings will go to paying medical bills, especially if you have a severe injury.

And often times, people are injured at work. Whether you’re a truck driver getting in a car accident while transporting product, a warehouse employee injured from lifting boxes or a grocery store employee slipping on the job, you were injured in a work-related accident, and your life has now changed. Many work-related injuries will take someone out of work, and while that person is undergoing medical treatment and sitting at home, he or she is now also worried with, “How am I going to pay my bills and newly added medical expenses if I cannot work and make an income due to my injury?”

Well, under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act (820 ILCS 305), employees who are injured in accidents that arise out of and in the course of employment are entitled to Workers’ Compensation Benefits. That includes 100% of all medical expenses for reasonable and necessary treatment related to the work injury. You will not have to worry about copays either. Further, if you need to be off work to heal from your injuries, you are entitled to Temporary Total Disability benefits, which is a lost wage benefit calculated by two-thirds of your average weekly wage. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act also takes into account any permanent damages. There is Partial Permanent Disability, which is determined by what body parts are affected from your injury and how that will affect your life. And if you’re unable to do any kind of work due to your injury, you may be entitled to Permanent Partial Disability, which is benefits for life.

As stated above, there a numerous worries that go with an injury, from medical expenses to how you will make an income and pay such expenses if you cannot work. But please know that the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act protects you and such worries from accidents arising out of and in the course of employment. If you are injured at work, report it to your employer right away. Don’t hesitate. Ensure that you receive those workers’ compensation benefits that you are entitled to. Call Larson & Greenberg Law Group, LLC and we will ensure that your Workers’ Compensation rights are protected!

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