What’s It Worth? How Workers’ Comp Settlements Are Determined Pt 2
Last month, we looked into how workers’ compensation settlements are determined when an injured person is entitled to permanent partial-disability payments. These benefits are granted to a person who has been hurt in a work-related incident that left them with some sort of physical impairment or disfigurement, but they are still able to work at some level. Depending on the nature and severity of their injury, benefits are determined based on wage differential, scheduled injury, loss of percentage of a person as a whole, or disfigurement. But what happens to a person who is so badly injured in a work-related incident that they are completely unable to work? In Illinois, a person is deemed to have a permanent total disability when a doctor has declared they are unable to work or when they have lost use of both feet, legs, hands, arms, eyes, or any combination of two or more body parts. In a workers’ comp case, a person who is permanently disabled has the right to a lifetime of weekly benefits totaling 2/3 of their average weekly wage before the injury, up to the state maximum of $1,435 a week. As you would expect, insurance companies don’t want to be forced to hand over weekly payments to someone for the rest of the worker’s life, so they will often try to argue that an injured person is partially disabled and insist they can still work in some fashion. If a doctor has not deemed you totally disabled, you and your attorney will have to prove there is no reasonable job market for you. To
do this, you must actively search for a job that can meet whatever physical restrictions your injury has left you with. This may require you to apply for dozens of jobs a day for several months and keep a record of all applications and interviews. If you are unable to find a job suited for someone in your condition after a credible job search, this may be evidence enough to convince a workers’ comp arbitrator to rule in your favor. Proving disability in a workers’ comp case can be physically and emotionally exhausting, but you don’t have to face this challenge without help. Call 815-726-9999 and learn how the workers’ comp attorneys at Block, Klukas, Manzella & Shell can help you claim the benefits you are entitled to.
SUDOKU
FATHER’S DAY CHILI LIME CHICKEN WINGS
INGREDIENTS
• 4 pounds chicken wings • 1 stick unsalted butter, softened • 1 1/4 tablespoons Thai red curry paste • 1/4 cup honey • 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 lime, halved • Extra-virgin olive oil • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper • Chopped cilantro for garnish
DIRECTIONS
1. Heat oven to 425 F. 2. Rinse wings under cold water and pat dry. Season liberally with salt and pepper, and drizzle with olive oil. Roast on a baking sheet for 25 minutes or until skin becomes crisp and brown. 3. Blend butter, red curry paste, honey, and soy sauce in a large mixing bowl. 4. Toss wings in butter mixture. Squeeze lime juice on top, transfer to serving plate, and garnish with cilantro. (Inspired by foodnetwork.com)
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