Added Benefits for Dependents

Job Injury Lawyers for Workers and Families Throughout Schaumburg and Wheaton

Following a work-related injury, you and your family may face financial stress. Illinois workers’ compensation laws provide employer-paid benefits and medical care to those who have suffered injury or disease in the course and scope of employment. Employees with children or a dependent spouse may also be entitled to added benefits for dependents. The Wheaton and Schaumburg workers’ compensation attorneys at Therman Law Offices can provide guidance on how these benefits can support you and your family following your work-related illness or injury. With over 35 years of combined experience, we have guided workers and their families as they pursue a work injury claim and assert their legal rights to the benefits they may be entitled to.

Workers’ Compensation Added Benefits for Dependents

The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act (IWCA) is a no-fault system of benefits, meaning that workers are eligible for compensation without having to prove fault. Under the Act, when employees suffer an injury in the course and scope of employment, they are entitled to file for compensation, such as reasonable medical care expenses and disability benefits. Coverage is available for injuries that lead to a temporary absence from work, reduced work capacity, or permanent change in your ability to do your job.

Dependents who rely on the employee for financial support may be entitled to compensation under the IWCA as well. Generally, dependents are people related to the victim by a marital relationship or by blood, such as spouses, children, parents, brothers, aunts and uncles. The determination of which dependent qualifies for support can be complex, and knowledgeable legal counsel can review the facts of your case to evaluate whom the eligible parties may be.

Additional benefits for dependents are common when a worker has received a temporary or permanent disability benefit award. Temporary total disability benefits are awarded when an employee is unable to return to work. This employee may also be cleared for light-duty work, but cannot be accommodated. Partial disability benefits are appropriate when an injured employee works part time. Depending on the weekly payment to the injured worker, additional payments for each dependent may be available.

Fatal Work Injuries and Added Benefits for Dependents

In the event of a fatal injury, death benefits may be available to the injured worker’s dependents if they are in need of monetary support. These dependents may include a surviving spouse or children. If the deceased worker does not have a surviving spouse or children, other related parties may be eligible for benefits depending on their relationship with the deceased and their degree of dependence on the worker’s wages.

After the death of a worker, benefits can include long-term compensation for lost earning power and burial costs. The long-term compensation for lost earning power is usually two-thirds of the average weekly wage the worker earned in the year before death. Reimbursement checks and weekly payments financially support families facing a devastating loss. If the surviving spouse remarries without any surviving child or children with the decedent, the Act provides for a lump sum benefit.

Contact a Schaumburg and Wheaton Lawyer to Review Your Benefits Claim

If you were injured or lost a loved one due to a workplace accident, an experienced attorney can help protect your rights. At Therman Law Offices, our workers’ compensation lawyers advocate for Wheaton and Schaumburg employees as well as their dependents. We understand that an injury or occupational illness affects not only the worker, but their family as well. We bring more than three decades of combined experience and represent workers in various industries throughout Cook County as well as in the cities of Carol Stream, Lombard, Addison, Glendale Heights, Elmhurst, Villa Park, Lemont, West Chicago, Oakbrook Terrace, and Westmont. Call our office today to learn more about your workers’ compensation claim. We can be reached by phone at 312-588-1900 or online to set up a free consultation.