Temporary Total Disability Lawyer

Our Chicago Workers’ Comp Lawyers Can Help

Are you worried about how you’re going to pay your bills and put food on the table while you’re recovering from a workplace accident? If your work injury impacts your ability to do your job and your employer is unable to accommodate your restrictions, you may be entitled to Temporary Total Disability (TTD) benefits. Give us a call and we’ll walk you through the process.

To find out if you’re eligible for TTD, call Martay Law Office at 312-372-9022 for a free consultation. 

What Is Temporary Total Disability?

When you are unable to perform the duties of your job after a workplace accident and your employer is unable to provide you with work that meets your restrictions, the company’s workers’ compensation insurance is required to pay you a portion of your wages. Known as TTD, this cash benefit is equal to ⅔ of your average weekly wage for the 52 weeks prior to your accident. If you haven’t worked for your employer for a full 52 weeks, your benefits will be determined based on the paychecks you’ve received so far.

Factoring in overtime, holiday pay, second jobs, and bonuses can make calculating your benefits tricky. Insurance companies are notorious for underestimating, miscalculating, and ultimately underpaying. In some cases, the mistakes result in substantial losses to injured workers like you. Our workers’ compensation attorneys can help make sure your temporary total disability benefits are accurate.

Who Is Entitled to TTD in Illinois?

You can’t decide for yourself that you are unable to work. To be eligible for TTD benefits, your doctor must either completely remove you from your work environment or place you on restrictions that your employer cannot accommodate with light duty work. If you are prevented from performing your job duties and your employer offers you light duty work that meets your limitations, you must accept the work or risk losing your entitlement to TTD. If the light duty work causes you pain, however, you should return to your doctor to have your restrictions updated.

Additionally, to qualify to Temporary Total Disability benefits, you must be off work for at least three days. If you miss between four and fourteen days of work, your benefits will begin on day four. If your disability lasts longer than fourteen days, you are entitled to retroactive benefits that begin on day one.

You should continue to receive TTD benefit payments until your doctor releases you to return to work or you are determined to be at maximum medical improvement (MMI). If you are still unable to perform your job duties after reaching MMI, you may be eligible for Permanent Total Disability benefits.

TTD Benefits Denied, Delayed, or Terminated?

If you’re an injured worker and you aren’t receiving appropriate lost time benefits, give us a call. Workers’ compensation insurers are looking out for their own bottom line, not your wellbeing. It is not uncommon for them to tell injured workers they don’t qualify for TTD benefits because of their particular circumstances. They often go out of their way to delay payments, and they sometimes terminate benefits prematurely.

At Martay Law Office, we understand that your family’s financial survival depends on prompt payment of TTD benefits. We know that even a small delay or miscalculation can hinder your ability to provide for your needs. And an early termination can be detrimental to your financial future. The sooner you contact our firm, the faster we can help you put money in your pocket.