Chicago Workers’ Compensation: How it Works

Chicago Workers’ Compensation How it Works

Chicago Workers’ Compensation Attorney Michael V. Favia

Attorney Michael V. Favia is a Chicago workers’ compensation attorney who can help injured employees who need benefits to pay their lost wages and medical expenses. If employees are injured or have an occupational disease from work, attorney Michael V. Favia can help the injured or sick employee file an application for workers’ compensation benefits with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. Illinois is a no-fault state for illness and injury, so it does not matter who is at fault for purposes of claiming benefits. Attorney Favia and his team at Michael V. Favia & Associates will walk the employee through the entire process from beginning to end and will represent them at the administrative hearings and any appeals if necessary. The process is much quicker and more efficient than traditional civil lawsuits for injuries.  

According to Illinois workers’ compensation laws, workers deserve to be compensated for:

  • Injuries;
  • Disabilities;
  • Lost Wages;
  • Medical Expenses;
  • Inconvenience; and
  • Loss of Capacity to Enjoy Life

It does not cost any money to hire Chicago workers’ compensation attorney Michael V. Favia. Clients do not owe any fees until workers’ compensation cases are won or settled, which is called a contingency fee. Attorneys fees for representing injured employees are limited by Illinois workers’ compensation law and are only 20 percent if the injury is work-related, compared to attorneys fees of 33 percent in traditional civil lawsuits for money damages.

Read our blog article: Examples of Personal Injury, Workers’ Compensation, and Medical Malpractice Cases.

Injured at work? Contact Chicago and Rolling Meadows, Illinois workers’ compensation attorney Michael V. Favia at (773) 631-4580.  

Workers’ Compensation Benefits Pay Injured Employees – How it Works

Workers’ Compensation benefits provided by the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act:

  • Medical care;
  • Temporary total disability (TTD);
  • Temporary partial disability (TPD);
  • Vocational rehabilitation/maintenance;
  • Permanent partial disabilities (PPD);
  • Permanent total disability (PTD); and
  • Death benefits for surviving family members.

Workers’ Compensation is a form of accident insurance, paid by employers, that provides medical benefits and wages for employees who are injured at work. No-fault compensation plans are designed to get the injured employee paid without litigation and the need to go to court.

Accepting workers’ compensation benefits means the injured employee may not sue the employer in civil court for damages and lost wages. This means the injured worker can start receiving benefits without the need to win or settle a civil lawsuit.

A lawsuit for injuries could take several months or years. The insurance company for the employer will do what they can to limit their liability to pay claims against their client, the employer. In defending against a civil suit, the lawyers for the insurance company can drag the case out for a long time while the injured employee and their family may be unable to pay bills and maintain their home and lifestyle. This is why workers’ compensation benefits are so helpful, getting injured employees paid quickly and efficiently.

Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission – Resources for Employees

The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission website has a section called Resources for Employers, with answers to frequently asked questions, benefit rates, forms, and case information.

Weekly payments instead of wages function like a form of disability insurance. Weekly payments reimburse the injured employee for past and future economic loss as well as benefits that can be paid to the dependents of workers who are killed at work during their employment.

The Commission offers an online Handbook on Workers’ Compensation and Occupational Diseases providing a basic explanation of the workers’ compensation program in Illinois. Learn about the benefits and procedures at the Commission.

About the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act  

The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act is the state law covering accident insurance and benefits for injured employers. The Act requires Illinois employers to be responsible for the cost of workers’ compensation benefits, to post it to employees, maintain records, and not harass or fire employees who make claims for workers’ compensation payments for workplace injuries.

This means that employees who are injured at work should not worry about keeping their jobs if they are injured at work. If protected employees were terminated in retaliation for filing an application for workers’ compensation benefits, there would be separate legal options to sue the employer for wrongful termination of employment.

Chicago workers’ compensation lawyer Michael V. Favia can explain rights and options regarding workers’ compensation benefits and related employment and injury topics.

Reporting Accidents, Injuries, and Illness Immediately – Get a Lawyer’s Help if Necessary

If injured at work, during the scope of employment, the employer should be notified, including the time and place of the accident. A report can be made verbally and followed up with a written report. Notify your employer within 45 days of an accident, and within 90 days if there are injuries related to radiation exposure.

Employees concerned about injuries and work-related illnesses often hire a workers’ compensation lawyer to help advise and represent them from reporting the injury to the employer to accepting a settlement plan for compensation benefits. Chicago workers’ compensation lawyer people trust is Michael V. Favia.

Call Chicago Workers’ Compensation Attorney Michael V. Favia at the Chicago and Rolling Meadows Law Firm of Michael V. Favia & Associates (773) 631-4580.