Get Your Benefits With A Temporary Total Disability Attorney
Last updated on January 28, 2025
Whether you’re filing an application for the first time or have been denied benefits – we can help. At Eames Law Group, we help injured workers throughout Illinois recover temporary total disability benefits when they are unable to return to their jobs after a work-related injury or illness. Under Illinois Workers’ Compensation Law, almost all workers are eligible for TTD benefits if workplace injuries prevent them from working. Many employers, however, delay payments or deny claims, leaving workers like you to struggle financially. Our attorneys fight to get your benefits paid.
What Are TTD Workers’ Compensation Benefits?
Temporary total disability benefits compensate injured workers for lost wages if they cannot return to work after a work-related accident or exposure. If you were injured on the job and your doctor’s restrictions prevented you from working, or your employer cannot accommodate your light-duty restrictions, chances are good that you qualify for TTD benefits.
To qualify for these benefits, you must meet certain criteria.
- You must miss at least three consecutive days from work because of your illness or injury.
- Your injuries must have occurred while at work or performing job-related duties.
- You must notify your employer of the injury.
If you qualify for temporary total disability benefits, your employer must begin paying you within 14 days of receiving notice of your injury. If your employer denies or delays payment, you can petition the arbitrator to order your employer to pay your benefits and any applicable penalties. If you hire an attorney to help you get TTD benefits, your employer may also be required to pay his or her fees.
How Long Will You Receive TTD Benefits?
Your employer must continue paying you TTD benefits until you are released to return to work or reach maximum medical improvement (MMI). If your employer discontinues your TTD payments prematurely, it must notify you in writing no later than the last day you receive payment. You may petition the arbitrator to order your employer to pay penalties and attorney’s fees if no written explanation is provided.
When Your Employer Can Accommodate Your Restrictions
When your restrictions prevent you from performing your regular job duties, but your employer offers you work that accommodates your condition and the limits your doctor has set, you must try the light-duty work. If you refuse to accept work that meets your restrictions, you could be waiting out the rest of your recovery without TTD pay. If you try working and it aggravates your symptoms or makes your condition worse, you should return to your doctor to have your restrictions modified.
How TTD Benefits Are Calculated
Your temporary total disability benefits are determined based on your pretax wages for the 52 weeks prior to your injury. Your payments should be equal to 66 ⅔% of your average weekly gross pay, subject to minimum and maximum limits.
Although there are set minimum and maximum amounts for TTD benefits, the amount received can vary. Overtime hours may be included to determine your average weekly wage (AWW) under certain conditions, but it is calculated at your straight wage, not time and a half. Other factors that may impact your AWW calculation include whether you had more than one job at the time you were injured, whether you only worked casually, and whether you have a full 52 consecutive weeks of employment.
Get Help With Your Case: Call A Workers’ Compensation Attorney
Attorney Brent Eames is a compassionate advocate for his clients and is experienced in securing top verdicts, awards and settlements on behalf of injured workers and accident victims. Before you talk to anyone, you should call our office and schedule a free consultation with our experienced lawyer. Please contact us at 312-319-8350 or send us an email today.
