Yorkville Workers’ Compensation Attorney

Injured on the Job? Let Attorney Matt Walker Fight for Your Workers’ Compensation Rights in Kendall County.

If you have been injured while performing your work duties or have incurred an occupational disease that seriously disrupts your health, career, finances, and wellbeing, you can file for workers’ compensation in Illinois. The benefits you can obtain will depend on your situation, and there are two different methods you and your lawyer might pursue for monetary compensation. Whether you seek to obtain disability benefits for your injuries or a settlement with the insurance company, Matt Walker can help you navigate the process. Attorney Walker is highly experienced in workers’ compensation litigation, and he has even published a book on workers’ compensation. Let him protect your rights as an injured worker and ensure you are receiving a fair amount of compensation for your injuries.

Schedule an initial consultation with Attorney Matt Walker to discuss your workers’ compensation case in more detail. Representing injured workers throughout Kendall County.

Disability Benefits for Injuries on the Job

You can obtain financial compensation for temporary disabilities and injuries through workers’ compensation. Temporary total disability (TTD) benefits are for individuals who cannot work while they’re recovering from a work-related injury or illness, or if their employer cannot offer modified light-duty work that accommodates their physical limitations. TTD benefits usually continue until your doctor confirms that your condition has improved as much as can with treatment (this stage is referred to as "maximum medical improvement," or MMI). The amount of your TTD benefits is two-thirds of your pre-injury average weekly wage, up to a maximum amount that varies dependent on the state average weekly wage. 

If you are able to return to light-duty or part-time work while recovering, you may receive temporary partial disability (TPD) benefits, which are two-thirds of the difference between what you would be earning if you were able to work full duty and your current wages.

You may be considered permanently and totally disabled if you are unable to do any kind of work anymore or if you have lost the use of both eyes, hands, arms, feet, or legs. In such a case, you will receive permanent total disability benefits for life, paid at the same rate as your TTD benefits.

If you've lost the use of some part of your body (permanent partial disability), you may receive any of the following: 

• Wage differential benefits. Two-thirds of the difference between what you're earning in your new job and what you would have been earning at your pre-injury job. The payments will terminate the later of 5 years after or when you turn 67 years old.
• Scheduled loss-of-use awards. If you've lost the use of certain parts of your body, you may receive an award equal to 60% of your pre-injury average weekly wages multiplied by a specified number of weeks, depending on your case.
• Unscheduled awards. If you have a physical impairment not listed on Illinois’ schedule of injuries (e.g., spinal injury), you may receive a nonscheduled award equal to 60% of your pre-injury average weekly wage for a percentage of 500 weeks, based on the disability rating assigned by your doctor.
• Disfigurement benefits. If you have a serious and permanent disfigurement to an area of your body that is commonly visible to the public, you may be entitled to an award equal to 60% of your pre-injury average weekly wage for up to 162 weeks, depending on the severity of the disfigurement.

In addition to the above, you may also obtain other benefits through workers’ compensation like:

• Reasonably necessary medical treatment related to your work injury
• Vocational rehabilitation (e.g., career counseling, training, education, and assistance for finding new employment)
• Maintenance benefits in the same amount as your TTD rate if you need time to find a new job due to your work related injures
• Death benefits and up to $8,000 in burial expenses for the surviving spouse, children, or other dependents

Workers’ Compensation Settlements

While you can obtain significant benefits by applying for workers’ compensation through the above disability programs, an alternative way you may decide to settle your case is through a workers’ compensation settlement with the insurance company. In summary, a workers’ compensation settlement allows the insurance company to pay an agreed-upon sum of money to release some of its responsibilities. However, these kinds of settlements waive your right to a workers’ compensation hearing that would allow you to claim the above benefits, such as future medical care. 

Different cases warrant different methods of resolution. If you or a loved one has been injured on the job, you have the right to file a workers’ compensation claim and obtain monetary compensation. Attorney Matt Walker will take a closer look at your case to determine what works best for you, and he will guide you patiently through the process so you can obtain justice for your work-inflicted injuries.

Contact Attorney Matt Walker for an initial consultation to discuss your legal options in your workers’ compensation case.