Left disabled from a workplace injury? You deserve benefits

On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Workers’ Compensation on Thursday, January 1, 2015.

Whether minor or catastrophic, accidents in the workplace can have an absolutely devastating affect on employees. In some instances, a workplace injury may be so severe that a person may become permanently disabled and unable to work. While there are workers’ compensation benefits to address this, it is also not unusual for a claim to be contested and result in hearings regarding the accident, the injuries suffered and/or the benefits sought.

Illinois workers who have suffered a permanent total disability can vary. Some lose the use of both of their hands while others suffer an injury that causes blindness. The loss of use in any such pair of limbs also means that that worker is no longer able to be employed in any steady career or job field.

Even though victims are no longer able to work, those who receive PTD benefits can receive them for the entirety of their life. However, the amount is not based off of their previous pay, but off of whatever the average is for the state’s weekly wage. There is both a minimum and a maximum that a victim can receive, and benefits are typically calculated off of whatever the weekly wage was at the time of injury.

Unfortunately, since PTD workers’ compensation benefits are typically life-long costs, some Illinois employers oppose these types of claims. When victims are left unable to work and cut off from valuable benefits that they need to meet their daily needs, help from an experienced workers’ compensation attorney can be the most beneficial route to take. We understand what kind of unfair burden a workplace injury can place on a person, and we know what it takes to fight for a fair and rightful award.