Chicago Workers' Compensation Information Center

Overview of Workers’ Compensation Law

When workers are injured or become ill in the workplace, workers’ compensation laws provide a safety net to help compensate individuals for, among other things, their medical expenses, lost wages, and injuries. In a workers’ compensation claim, unlike a personal injury claim, injured workers are entitled to receive statutory benefits irrespective of whether they are at fault for the accident. But they are not allowed to recover for their pain and suffering or other damages that are recoverable in a personal injury lawsuit.

The key question in a workers’ compensation claim is whether the injury or illness was caused (or made worse) by the injured worker’s employment. Although this question may seem simple to answer, it frequently turns on the application of complex legal concepts. For this reason, a workers’ compensation attorney is your best ally to ensure that you receive maximum monetary compensation for the permanent nature of your injury, medical expenses, lost wages, vocational rehabilitation, if necessary, and other benefits.

There are many stages in the workers’ compensation claim process, from hiring an attorney, to establishing that your injury was work-related, to having your case settled or tried before an arbitrator. The first steps you take immediately after a workplace incident are critical to the success of your claim, and meeting with a workers’ compensation attorney or a workers’ compensation lawyer as soon as possible will ensure that your legal rights are protected and that your claim is filed promptly.

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