What is your hand worth? According to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, the maximum value of a hand lost at the job (for a worker who makes the average Illinois annual salary of $42,754.40) is $168,551, whereas that same hand could be worth $156,218 in Iowa and $143,885 in Nebraska.
In Illinois workers’ compensation law, the value of human areas of the body is set by an actuarial analysis of probabilities and future values of injuries. workers compensation attorney The values are continually adjusted to maintain with inflation and changes in the economy. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission uses the fixed values of areas of the body to be able to strike a fair balance between compensating workers without driving insurance companies into financial ruin.
Workers’ Compensation Overview
Workers’ compensation is among the first examples of tort reform enacted in the United States. Before workers’ compensation law, people hurt at the job were faced with two unpleasant alternatives: (1) they could either file lawsuits against their employers or (2) they could suck it down and buy their particular injuries.
Now, employers in every state but Texas are needed to put up workers’ compensation insurance. When individuals are injured at the job, it is practically as an easy task to file claims inside their states’ workers’ compensation systems, as it would be to file insurance claims after car accidents.
So as to make sure that injured workers, employers and insurance companies are treated fairly, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission continually makes changes to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act.
Below is an summary of the most up-to-date set of changes to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, which took place in July of 2005.
Fraud Statute Established
Any party involved with committing fraud concerning a workers’ compensation dispute is guilty of a Class 4 felony and must pay complete restitution in addition to a fine. Furthermore, those that knowingly receive benefits by making false workers’ compensation claims could be liable for either 3 x the value of benefits wrongfully obtained or twice the value of coverage attempted, plus attorney fees required to create the claim.
Penalties Increased for Uninsured Employers
Employers who fail to purchase workers’ compensation insurance are guilty of making an immediate and serious danger to public health. As a consequence, a work stop order could be imposed, requiring the cessation of business operations before employer obtains evidence of workers’ compensation insurance.
Furthermore, a knowing failure of an employer to offer workers’ compensation insurance coverage is known as a Class 4 felony, and each day’s violation constitutes a separate offense.
Medical Fee Schedule Established
The Commission has established a medical fee schedule, setting maximum medical fees that employers are liable for. The utmost fees are 90% of the 80th percentile of charges in a certain geographic area. If your worker’s medical bills are significantly less than what’s established by the fee schedule, then the employee will receive full workers’ compensation coverage for those bills.
Benefits Increased and Changed
The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission sets maximum compensation for specific work injuries. By February of 2006, the maximum compensation that a worker can receive as the result of a death injury is the more of $500,000 or 25 years worth of salary. This is higher compared to previous maximum (the greater of $250,000 or 20 years).
Expedited Hearings
When an injured worker isn’t receiving any compensation for an accident from their employer, that worker can request an expedited hearing. An employer also can request an expedited hearing if a worker continues receiving compensation until a judgment is rendered and the employee has been released back to work.
Utilization Review Established
If an employer has reason to think that an inured workers’ medical treatment was unnecessary or unreasonable, the employer might have the case evaluated at a utilization review. In order to qualify for a utilization review, employers must register with the Department of Financial and Professional Regulation once every two years.
Happy Employees, Employers and Insurance Companies
The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission strives to reach fair results for many parties involved with work injuries. Illinois workers compensation laws benefit employees by providing fast compensation for injuries without the stress of filing lawsuits. Employers take advantage of workers’ compensation insurance coverage, because it eliminates the danger of lawsuits brought by injured employees. Even insurance companies take advantage of workers’ compensation law, because it sets maximum rates, which reduces the odds of unreasonable payouts. Furthermore, when insurance premiums paid by employers are invested at favorable rates, insurance companies can actually stand to get probably the most from the Illinois Workers’ Compensation system.
By continually adjusting the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission is reaching fair results for anyone involved with work injuries.