The #1 question we get is “What is my case worth?”  A close second is probably people wanting to know if they are getting paid the right amount for TTD benefits which is compensation for your time off work when you are hurt on the job in Illinois.

The answer to these questions depend on a variety of factors.  One of the biggest influences on what a case is worth is how much you were making at the time of your accident.  A person making $100,000.00 a year will have a case worth more than someone making $25,000.00 if all the other case facts are the same.

Every six months Illinois updates the TTD rates which determine what your compensation will be. The TTD rate is 2/3 of your average weekly wage.  Once a year they update the PPD (permanent partial disability) rates which is the pay rate your settlement is based off of. The PPD rate is 60% of your average weekly wage.  These figures are subject to maximum amounts that are based off of the state wide average weekly wage.  Generally speaking, wages go up which leads to these maximum rates going up.

The current maximum TTD rate for injuries from January 15, 2020 to July 14, 2020 is $1,549.07.  That means that if you make more than $120,827.46 a year (or $2,323.61 a week), if you are injured on the job and can’t work, you will actually get less than 2/3 of your weekly wages as compensation.  For most workers this is a non issue.  This maximum tends to go up $20-25 every six months or so.

The current maximum PPD rate is $836.69. If you were injured between July 1, 2019 and June 30, 2020, that is the rate that will be used.  Settlements are based on a formula where your PPD rate is multiplied by the value assigned to a percentage of your body part.  A back injury for example is worth 500 weeks for a 100% loss of use.  So if you were a high wage earner and received a settlement for a herniated disc of 20% loss of use of the back, you would be entitled to 100 weeks of PPD compensation or $83,669.00.

If you are permanently disabled from a job accident or a loved one is killed on the job while working in Illinois, that settlement is based off what is called the permanent disability rate or death benefit rate.  That amount is equal to the current maximum TTD rate.

There are minimum loss rates too that vary based on your wage and the number of financial dependents that you have.

It’s very important to know what your proper rate is.  The rates aren’t published right when the calendar turns.  So if you get hurt in July of 2020 before the new rates are listed, you will get paid based on the old maximums. That said, when the new rates are published you can retroactively get the increase you deserve.
Is this confusing?  It can be. You definitely don’t want to make an error when it comes to PPD and TTD rates.  If you have any questions you can talk to us for free any time by filling out our contact form or giving us a call. We help with work injury cases everywhere in Illinois.