If you were hurt at work in Illinois, workers’ compensation pays your medical care and part of your lost wages. It is a no-fault system. You do not have to prove your employer did anything wrong. This page gathers every workers’ compensation guide on this site.
The system has strict steps. Report the injury to your employer within 45 days. Get medical treatment and tell the doctor it happened at work. File a claim with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission within three years of the injury, or two years from the last benefit payment, whichever is later.
Benefits cover more than many workers realize. Medical care is paid in full with no copays. Temporary total disability pays two thirds of your average weekly wage while you cannot work. Permanent disability awards compensate lasting damage, and vocational rehabilitation can pay for retraining when you cannot return to your old job.
Insurers push back hardest on disputed body parts, repetitive trauma, and cases with prior injuries. Denied claims can be appealed and often are won. Some work injuries also support a separate lawsuit against a negligent third party, which pays damages workers’ comp does not. The guides below walk through each piece.
All Guides in This Section
Filing and benefits
- Denied Workers’ Comp Claim in Illinois: What to Do Next
- How to File a Workers’ Comp Claim in Illinois (Step-by-Step)
- Temporary vs. Permanent Disability Benefits in Illinois Workers’ Comp
- Third-Party Claims for Workplace Injuries in Chicago
Work injury guides
- Can You Sue Your Employer in Illinois? Workers’ Comp Exceptions Explained
- Construction Worker Injuries and Workers’ Comp in Chicago
- Repetitive Stress Injuries and Workers’ Comp in Illinois
- Warehouse and Distribution Center Injuries in Chicago
- Workers’ Comp for Office and Remote Work Injuries in Illinois
- Workers’ Comp vs. Personal Injury: What’s the Difference?
Talk to a Chicago Injury Lawyer for Free
Phillips Law Offices handles work injury cases across Chicago and Illinois. The consultation is free and there is no fee unless we win. Call (312) 346-4262 or contact us online. Our office is at 161 N Clark St Suite 4925, Chicago, IL 60601.