Seeking wage replacement benefits after an injury

On Behalf of | Jan 20, 2017 | Industrial Workers' Accidents |

When a worker suffers an on-the-job injury so severe that the employee can no longer perform his or her job duties, wage replacement benefits might be necessary to keep the worker afloat. Fortunately, Illinois law allows severely injured workers to receive money when they are not working through the state’s workers’ compensation program.

Workers cannot receive the full amount of money they received while working, but wage replacement benefits are certainly a very significant help. The standard wage replacement is two-thirds the amount the worker earned before his or her injury. Another bonus is the fact that workers’ compensation benefits are exempt from being taxed, so the full amount will be kept. This can bring the wage replacement funds very close to the full amount of many workers’ take-home pay.

In spite of a worker’s right to receive wage replacement benefits, however, insurance adjusters may try to take advantage of the fact that most workers don’t know their rights. As such, even if a worker should receive extra money for wage replacement, he or she might not receive it automatically. The insurer might deny a workers’ compensation claim, or merely turn a blind eye to the fact that a worker has been down and out and unable to work for the last several months.

At Hannigan & Botha, we have experienced Illinois workers’ compensation lawyers on staff to help injured Illinois workers seek the employee benefits they deserve. Our attorneys and our staff will do everything in their legal power to pursue your claim and take your case to court if necessary to protect your legal rights.

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