When you are injured at work, you are usually entitled to receive benefits under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act. A Palos Heights workers’ compensation attorney can help you fight to receive these benefits. However, you may have questions about how much compensation you might receive. While these numbers change every six months, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission just released new figures.
How the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission Sets Benefit Rates
The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission is required to calculate and release new benefit rates every six months, which it just did on January 15, 2015. These figures are based on the statewide average weekly wage. When calculating the statewide weekly wage, the Commission takes the total amount of wages paid in six months and divides it by the total number of employees, regardless of how many days those employees worked. Federal workers and self-employed people are excluded from the calculations. This weekly average is then used to set the minimum and maximum allowable benefits.
The New Benefit Rates
There are three different categories of benefits the Commission sets. This year the rates were all set based on the new statewide average weekly wage of $1,021.34. The first category of benefits includes benefits for death, permanent total disability, or permanent partial disability if amputation of a limb or member or enucleation (a certain type of removal) of an eye occurs. The weekly minimum and maximum benefits in this category for this six-month period will be $510.67 and $1,361.79.
The second category of benefits includes temporary total disability benefits. The maximum weekly benefit in this category is $1,361.79. The minimum benefit rate in this category is either the employee’s average weekly wage rate, or the rate below, whichever is lower. These rates are based on the total number of children the employee has, plus his or her spouse if applicable:
|
0 |
$220.00 |
|
1 |
$253.00 |
|
2 |
$286.00 |
|
3 |
$319.00 |
|
4+ |
$330.00 |
The final benefit category deals with permanent partial disability, which does not involve amputation of a member or enucleation of an eye. The minimum rate of benefits in these situations is the same as the minimum rate for temporary total disability benefits. The maximum rate is $725.81.
Call Today
If you have been injured at work, you will need someone on your side to fight for you. That is why you should call the experienced Palos Heights workers’ compensation attorneys at Bizzieri Law Offices. When you call we can schedule a free consultation. Reach out to us today at (773)881-9000 and let us discover how we can be of assistance.
