Anyone can be injured at work. While accidents and injuries may be more likely in some professions, they can also occur at an office or another location that is relatively safe, or a person may experience health issues related to the work they perform. Fortunately, anyone who suffers work-related injuries will be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. However, there are some cases where employers or their insurance companies may deny these benefits. In these situations, workers will need to determine their options for appealing a denial and receiving the benefits they need and deserve.

Filing a Claim With the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission

The first thing that a person will need to understand is the reason their workers’ comp claim was denied. In some cases, a denial may occur because a person did not notify their employer within 45 days after their injury occurred. An employer may also deny a claim because they believe that an injury was not work-related or that it was not serious enough to require a person to miss work. An employer is required to provide an employee with a written explanation that states the reason workers’ comp benefits are being denied.

An employee may file a claim with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC) to dispute the denial of benefits or ask for additional benefits to be paid. Generally, claims must be filed within three years after the injury occurred. If the employer paid any medical benefits or temporary disability benefits, a claim must be filed within two years after the employer's last payment of benefits.

It can be tough being a seasonal employee in the retail industry. Low wages, expedited training, long hours, holiday shifts, and sometimes less-than-friendly relations with tenured employees are all part of the reality of the seasonal employee. Whether they are saving extra holiday shopping money for a special someone or simply working hard to pay rent and utilities, these employees are a valuable part of the U.S. economy. 

When a seasonal employee is injured on the job, the damage resonates beyond even a given workplace. Importantly, seasonal employees need to know that they are eligible for compensation for work-related injuries just the same as year-round workers. 

Workers’ Compensation Protects Injured Workers in Illinois 

The retail industry can be quite lucrative for retailers, especially during the busy holiday shopping season. However, the increase in traffic and activity during this time is no excuse for a business to in any way relax or take shortcuts in its duty to maintain a retail environment that is safe for both customers and employees. This is true for both seasonal and non-seasonal employees. 

Every time we see traffic cones, narrowed lanes, and road construction signs on an Illinois highway, we understand the risks faced by the workers who keep the state’s traffic flowing safely. Similarly, when we observe construction cranes over the stunning downtown Chicago panorama from Grant Park or the Art Institute, we can imagine the dangers inherent in the work of those who keep the city growing. Beyond construction, city or state police officers, firefighters, and emergency medical technicians all regularly face danger in their work. 

In some professions, risk abounds. When the unthinkable happens – when a loved one is lost while on the job – Illinois Workers’ Compensation can provide some financial support for their survivors. Nothing can bring back your loved one, but workers’ compensation can keep an already unbearable situation from spiraling into further despair due to the loss of income, medical bills, and funeral expenses.

The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act Governs Eligibility

When an Illinois worker is injured on the job, the type of benefits the employee is eligible for are typically referred to as “disability benefits.” These benefits cover not just medical bills and lost income stemming from the workplace accident, but also any lost earning potential that the worker has suffered as a result of any physical or mental impairment caused by the accident.  

The Chicago area is a complex and ever-growing network of transportation, industry, commerce, education, and daily life. Whether driving up Lake Shore Drive, down 90/94, or west on 290, one can only marvel at size and scope of the area. While the city’s skyline might appear to magically expand, building by building and floor by floor, such development is, of course, the product of the labor of the city’s workers. 

The same is true of Chicago area roads and bridges. In a city that is pummeled by winter weather for much longer than the season’s official three months, near constant upkeep of this infrastructure is required. This responsibility again falls to Illinois workers. 

Because the construction and maintenance of Chicagoland’s buildings, transportation grid, and utilities occurs amidst the near infinite moving parts and people of daily life, work-related accidents and injuries are bound to happen. Fortunately for Illinois workers, the state has a “no-fault” statute with regard to work-related injuries. This law that can make all the difference in obtaining the compensation you need and deserve after suffering a work-related injury.