Key Takeaways
- Illinois puts a number on each body part. Section 8(e) of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act assigns a set number of weeks to each one: an arm is 253 weeks, a hand 205, a leg 215, a thumb 76.
- The formula is fixed: 60% of your average weekly wage × your percentage loss of use × the weeks assigned to that body part.
- Rates are capped. For injuries on or after July 15, 2026, the temporary total disability maximum is $2,045.63 per week. The most recently published permanent partial disability maximum is $1,084.66 per week.
- Two deadlines control everything. Notify your employer within 45 days, and file with the Commission within 3 years of the injury, or 2 years from your last compensation payment, whichever is later.
- A chart is a ceiling, not a promise. These figures are statutory maximums. What you actually recover depends on your wage, your disability rating, and how well the medical evidence is presented.
If you were hurt on the job in Illinois, the first question is almost always the same: what is my case worth? Illinois answers part of that question with an actual statute. The Workers’ Compensation Act assigns a specific number of weeks of pay to each body part, and that schedule, combined with your wage, sets the value of a permanent partial disability claim.
Below is the current Illinois workers’ comp settlement chart, the formula behind it, the official 2026 benefit rates, and worked examples showing how the math actually lands.
How Illinois Calculates a Workers’ Comp Settlement
Most Illinois work injury settlements are built on permanent partial disability (PPD), which compensates the lasting effects of an injury after you have healed as much as you are going to. For an injury to a listed body part, the calculation has three inputs:
60% of your average weekly wage×your percentage loss of use×the weeks assigned to that body part=your scheduled PPD award
Two guardrails apply. Your PPD weekly rate cannot exceed the statutory maximum, and it cannot fall below the statutory minimum, which is the same as the temporary total disability minimum. Both are published by the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission and adjusted on a set schedule.
Injuries that do not fit a listed body part, such as a back, a neck, a shoulder, or a traumatic brain injury, are usually valued instead as a percentage of the “person as a whole,” which Illinois sets at 500 weeks under Section 8(d)2.
Illinois Workers’ Comp Settlement Chart by Body Part
These are the week values in Section 8(e) for injuries occurring on or after February 1, 2006. The right-hand column shows the maximum statutory value of a total loss of that body part at the current PPD maximum rate of $1,084.66 per week.
| Body part | Weeks of compensation | Maximum statutory value* |
|---|---|---|
| Arm | 253 | $274,418.98 |
| Leg | 215 | $233,201.90 |
| Hearing, both ears | 215 | $233,201.90 |
| Hand | 205 | $222,355.30 |
| Foot | 167 | $181,138.22 |
| Eye | 162 | $175,714.92 |
| Both testicles | 162 | $175,714.92 |
| Thumb | 76 | $82,434.16 |
| Hearing, one ear | 54 | $58,571.64 |
| Testicle | 54 | $58,571.64 |
| First (index) finger | 43 | $46,640.38 |
| Second (middle) finger | 38 | $41,217.08 |
| Great toe | 38 | $41,217.08 |
| Third (ring) finger | 27 | $29,285.82 |
| Fourth (little) finger | 22 | $23,862.52 |
| Each toe other than the great toe | 13 | $14,100.58 |
| Person as a whole (unscheduled injuries) | 500 | $542,330.00 |
Amputations and partial losses are treated differently
- Amputation above the elbow adds 17 weeks. An amputation at or so near the shoulder joint that an artificial arm cannot be used adds 70 weeks.
- Amputation above the knee adds 27 weeks. An amputation at the hip joint, or so close that an artificial leg cannot be used, adds 81 weeks.
- Enucleation of an eye adds 11 weeks.
- Losing the first (distal) phalanx of a thumb, finger, or toe counts as losing half of it. Losing more than one phalanx counts as losing the whole digit.
- Losing four digits on the same hand, or the use of them, counts as the complete loss of a hand.
- Carpal tunnel from repetitive trauma is capped. The hand is valued at 190 weeks, and PPD generally cannot exceed 15% loss of use of the hand, rising to 30% only on a showing by clear and convincing evidence.
Amputation cases and eye enucleation also use a higher weekly maximum than ordinary PPD claims: the same $2,045.63 cap that applies to death and permanent total disability benefits. That difference alone can be worth six figures on a catastrophic injury case.
Current Illinois Workers’ Comp Benefit Rates
| Benefit | Weekly rate |
|---|---|
| Statewide average weekly wage (SAWW) | $1,534.22 |
| Temporary total disability (TTD) maximum | $2,045.63 |
| Permanent total disability and death benefits, maximum | $2,045.63 |
| Permanent total disability and death benefits, minimum | $767.11 |
| PPD maximum (non-amputation)† | $1,084.66 |
| Wage differential maximum | $1,534.22 |
| TTD minimum, no dependents | $400.00 |
| TTD minimum, 1 dependent | $460.00 |
| TTD minimum, 2 dependents | $520.00 |
| TTD minimum, 3 dependents | $580.00 |
| TTD minimum, 4 or more dependents | $600.00 |
While you are off work and recovering, TTD pays 66⅔% of your average weekly wage, subject to those maximums and minimums. TTD and PPD are separate benefits, so being paid while you heal does not reduce what you are owed for permanent disability.
What the Math Looks Like in Real Cases
Example 1: a warehouse worker with a hand injury
A picker earning $1,200 a week crushes his hand on a conveyor. After surgery and therapy, his doctor rates him at a 25% loss of use of the hand.
- PPD rate: 60% × $1,200 = $720.00 per week, which is under the maximum and so applies in full
- Weeks: 205 × 25% = 51.25 weeks
- PPD award: 51.25 × $720.00 = $36,900.00
Example 2: a high earner with an arm injury
A union electrician earning $2,400 a week suffers a shoulder and arm injury on a job site, rated at 15% loss of use of the arm.
- PPD rate: 60% × $2,400 = $1,440, but the maximum caps it at $1,084.66
- Weeks: 253 × 15% = 37.95 weeks
- PPD award: 37.95 × $1,084.66 = $41,162.85
Example 2 shows why the cap matters. A worker earning twice as much does not recover twice as much, which is exactly why the disability rating, and the medical evidence supporting it, does more work than the wage figure in most serious cases.
When the schedule is not the best route
If your injury permanently pushes you into lower-paying work, a wage differential claim under Section 8(d)1 pays two-thirds of the difference between what you could have earned and what you now earn. That is often far more than a scheduled award. If you cannot return to any stable employment, permanent total disability pays for life. Choosing the right theory is frequently worth more than negotiating harder on the wrong one.
The Deadlines That Quietly End Illinois Claims
- 45 days to notify your employer. Notice must be given as soon as practicable, and no later than 45 days after the accident.
- 3 years to file with the Commission, or 2 years from the date of your last compensation payment, whichever is later.
Reporting an injury to a supervisor is not the same as filing a claim, and an open medical file does not preserve your rights. For how these interact with other Illinois injury deadlines, see our guide to the Illinois statute of limitations for injury claims.
What Actually Moves the Number
- Your disability rating. The percentage loss of use is the single biggest lever. It comes from medical opinion, and it is contested more often than anything else in the case.
- Your average weekly wage. Overtime, second jobs, and bonuses are frequently left out of the employer’s calculation, and an understated wage understates every benefit that flows from it.
- Whether the injury is scheduled or unscheduled. A shoulder valued as an arm and a shoulder valued as a person-as-a-whole produce very different numbers. The same is true of a spinal cord injury or a serious burn injury, neither of which appears on the schedule.
- Future medical care. Settlements often close out future treatment. What that is worth belongs in the negotiation.
- Whether anyone besides your employer is at fault. A subcontractor, a property owner, or a negligent driver can support a separate third-party injury claim, including pain and suffering, which workers’ compensation does not pay. This comes up constantly on construction sites, where several companies share one job site.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much is my workers’ comp settlement worth in Illinois?
For an injury to a scheduled body part, multiply 60% of your average weekly wage by your percentage loss of use, then by the weeks assigned to that body part. A 25% loss of use of a hand for someone earning $1,200 a week works out to about $36,900. Unscheduled injuries are valued against 500 weeks for the person as a whole.
Is there an official Illinois workers’ comp settlement chart?
Yes. The schedule is written into Section 8(e) of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, which assigns a fixed number of weeks to each body part: 253 for an arm, 215 for a leg, 205 for a hand, 167 for a foot, 162 for an eye, and 76 for a thumb, among others. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission publishes the weekly dollar rates separately.
How much does workers’ comp pay while I am off work in Illinois?
Temporary total disability pays 66⅔% of your average weekly wage. For injuries on or after July 15, 2026, TTD is capped at $2,045.63 per week, with minimums ranging from $400.00 for a worker with no dependents to $600.00 for a worker with four or more.
How long do I have to report a work injury in Illinois?
You must notify your employer as soon as practicable and no later than 45 days after the accident. You then have three years from the date of injury to file an application with the Commission, or two years from your last compensation payment, whichever is later.
Does workers’ compensation pay for pain and suffering in Illinois?
No. Illinois workers’ compensation pays medical care, wage benefits, and permanent disability, but it does not pay for pain and suffering. Those damages are only available in a separate claim against a negligent third party who is not your employer.
What is a back or shoulder injury worth if it is not on the chart?
Injuries that are not listed in the schedule are valued as a percentage of the person as a whole, which Illinois sets at 500 weeks. A 10% person-as-a-whole rating equals 50 weeks of PPD benefits.
Can I be fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim in Illinois?
No. Illinois law prohibits an employer from retaliating against an employee for exercising workers’ compensation rights, and a worker fired for filing a claim may have a separate retaliatory discharge case.
Do I need a lawyer for an Illinois workers’ comp claim?
Not for every claim, but the disability rating and the average weekly wage calculation are where most of the money is decided, and both are routinely disputed. A review before you accept a settlement costs nothing and is the point at which the number can still change.
Talk to an Illinois Work Injury Lawyer
If you were hurt at work anywhere in Illinois, we will look at your wage calculation, your disability rating, and whether anyone besides your employer shares the blame, before you sign anything. There is no fee unless we win.
Call 844-SEE-MIKE or request a free case review. Our team handles work injury claims across Illinois, including Chicago, Aurora, Joliet, Elgin, and Cicero.
Sources
- Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, 820 ILCS 305/8(b), 8(d), 8(e). Full text of the Act (IWCC)
- Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, 820 ILCS 305/6(c), 6(d), covering notice and filing deadlines
- Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. Official benefit rate tables
This article is general information about Illinois law, not legal advice about your specific claim. Benefit rates change twice a year, so confirm current figures with the IWCC or an attorney before relying on them.
