Some people get hurt at work because they drive and get into a car crash. Others get hurt because their job involves dangerous responsibilities, like washing windows on high-rise buildings. Many more people will develop medical issues, like carpal tunnel syndrome, not as the result of a single injury but rather the ongoing impact of job tasks.
Workers sickened and injured on the job in Illinois can count on workers’ compensation insurance to help them handle the consequences of their medical conditions. When you know the different benefits available to you, you will have an easier time making a claim and getting the support you need.
What kind of benefits do workers most frequently claim in Illinois workers’ compensation cases?
Medical benefits
The medical benefits available through workers’ compensation are valuable to workers with injuries and long-lasting medical conditions. Unlike standard health insurance, workers’ compensation doesn’t pass any costs on to the person seeking care.
You won’t have to pay a deductible or worry about expensive coinsurance costs. Provided that the medical professional overseeing the worker’s treatment believes the care is necessary, workers’ compensation should fully cover treatment ranging from prescription medication to surgery.
Disability and death benefits
When a worker gets hurt badly enough that they need time off of their job or they die, their lost wages cause hardship for their loved ones. Injured workers and surviving family members of those who died because of their employment can receive disability and death benefits.
These weekly payments may constitute up to two-thirds of a worker’s average weekly wage, up to the current state maximum benefit. Workers may qualify for temporary benefits until they return to work or even permanent benefits if they will never fully recover from their condition.
Vocational rehabilitation
Vocational rehabilitation benefits are less common than disability and medical benefits. In scenarios where a worker suffers permanent changes in the functions they can perform, vocational rehabilitation benefits help them learn new job skills so they can move into a different profession.
Many workers require a combination of benefits and change their claims as their condition progresses or plateaus during treatment. Knowing the benefits of Illinois workers’ compensation will help you connect with the coverage your employer carries to protect you.