[nap_names id="FIRM-NAME-2"]

​Experienced ILLINOIS Workers’ Compensation Lawyers
& CHICAGO Injury Lawyers

Partial Disability for Injured City of Chicago Workers

Lawyers for Chicago Employees Hurt On the Job

The City of Chicago employs many different workers, including janitors, public school teachers, administrative staff, and emergency workers. If you were injured on the job and can only do light duty or must work fewer hours because you haven’t fully recovered from your work accident, you may be able to obtain partial disability benefits. The City of Chicago is self-insured for workers’ compensation. If you are concerned about partial disability as an injured City of Chicago worker, you can consult the seasoned Chicago workers’ compensation attorneys of Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca.

Partial Disability for Injured City of Chicago Workers

Often injuries leave a City of Chicago worker disabled entirely for at least a brief period. For the first three days of disability, the worker won’t be paid disability benefits. However, temporary total disability benefits are paid starting after those initial 3 days, and if the worker is disabled for more than 14 days, the first three days of disability are paid retroactively. Often, a worker is only able to go back to light duty or part-time employment that pays less than usual. In that case, it may be possible to obtain temporary partial disability benefits. These benefits are paid at a rate of 2/3 of the difference between the wages you were making before you were injured on the job and what you make after. For example, if you earned $5000 a month before you were injured, but can only go back to work at half-time, and therefore make only $2500 per month, you can get 2/3 of the difference between $5000 and $2500, or $1666.66. A knowledgeable workers’ compensation lawyer can help you estimate what your benefit amount may be.

Maximum Medical Improvement

You may become eligible for permanent disability benefits if you reach maximum medical improvement and still face physical restrictions. There are four kinds of permanent partial disability benefits that are available in Illinois. These are: scheduled losses, unscheduled losses, wage differential benefits, and disfigurement benefits.

If you are permanently but partially disabled in the sense that certain body parts cannot be used, you may be able to get a scheduled award. This award is for particular body parts like feet, hands, legs, ears, or eyes. The number of weeks this benefit is paid is also determined by a schedule that specifies the number of weeks of payments.

Unscheduled losses are awarded where the specific body part that can’t be used isn’t on the set schedule. It is paid at the rate of 60% of your average weekly wage for a portion of 500 weeks, based on a disability rating assigned to the whole of your body.

If you need to get a new job because of your injury, it may not pay as much as your job with the City. In that case, you may be able to obtain wage differential benefits. Wage differential benefits are made up of 2/3 of the difference between your average weekly wage before you suffered injuries and your income after the injury. You can get these benefits for five years or until age 67, whichever is later. You cannot obtain a permanent partial disability award if you receive wage differential benefits.

Another type of partial disability benefit is the disfigurement benefit. This is awarded if a work accident has seriously and permanently disfigured a visible area of your body such as your face or below your knees. Disfigurement benefits are calculated at 60% of your average weekly wage for a maximum of 162 weeks depending on how severe your disability is. You can’t obtain both disfigurement and loss of use benefits for the same non-functional body part.

Experienced Chicago Attorneys for Workers’ Compensation Claims

If you’re concerned about obtaining partial disability benefits as an injured City of Chicago worker, you can contact us. The skilled attorneys of Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca represent workers in Quincy, Rockford, Champaign, and Aurora along with Kane, Sangamon, Winnebago, Adams, and Cook Counties. We evaluate each client’s situation to determine whether it would be appropriate to seek other relief such as a personal injury award in addition to workers’ compensation. Contact us at 312-724-5846 or via our online form.