For any worker in Illinois, whether you are behind a desk or work at a construction site, there is always the unfortunate possibility of being injured on the job. The excellent news is workers’ compensation (or workers’ comp) is a system of benefits to help an employee who has suffered an occupation-related injury or illness pay for medical bills and replace lost wages while they are not at work.
Workers’ compensation laws and benefits, however, vary from state to state. Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, an employee is entitled to three types of benefits, which are payments related to medical treatment expenses, missed time from work, and permanency. Though this sounds simple, calculating specific numbers can be slightly more complex.
An Illinois worker’s AWW, or Average Weekly Wage, is the most significant number which can help in determining what benefits one can receive under the Workers’ Compensation Act. The AWW is what a worker earns per week and is based on the 52 weeks prior to the work-related injury or illness. Essentially, the basic formula for calculating the AWW is adding up everything that was paid to you in the 52 weeks prior to the date of injury, and then dividing that number by 52. Keep in mind that certain factors may make calculating an AWW a bit tricky, such as the fact that overtime and bonuses are not considered part of the AWW. However, once the AWW is calculated, figuring out what benefits you should receive is fairly simple.
An Illinois worker may think that recovery will be the most difficult part of suffering from an on-the-job injury or illness, but receiving the workers’ comp he or she is entitled to may be a very challenging part of the ordeal as well. A knowledgeable Illinois workers’ compensation lawyer can help you with every step of the workers’ comp process, from filing to filling out paperwork and even an appeal, if necessary. At the Bradley Law Firm, we are committed to helping IL workers get the benefits they deserve. For a no-cost consultation on your claim, please call (312) 252-1488.
