How Much Is a Hand Injury Worth in an Illinois Workers’ Comp Case?

Hand injuries are some of the most common — and most misunderstood — workers’ compensation claims in Illinois. Whether you suffered a TFCC tear, a radius fracture, a metacarpal break, carpal tunnel, De Quervain’s, or even a severe degloving injury, the truth is this: there is no “average” hand injury settlement in Illinois workers’ comp.

The insurance company would love for you to believe otherwise. But under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, your case value is driven by your diagnosis, your restrictions, your job duties, and whether your hand injury impacts your long-term ability to work — not a generic number on a chart.

This guide breaks down exactly how Illinois evaluates hand injuries, why repetitive-trauma hand cases are often denied, and how workers in Chicago and throughout Illinois can position their claims for the strongest possible settlement.

If you’re searching for how much your Illinois hand injury might be worth, you’re in the right place — and this guide will help you understand what truly matters.

There Is No “Average” Illinois Hand Injury Settlement

If you Google “average workers’ comp hand settlement in Illinois,” you’ll see numbers that sound precise but have very little to do with your case. Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, the value of a hand injury depends on:

• Your diagnosis (sprain vs. TFCC tear vs. fracture vs. carpal tunnel, etc.)
• Whether you need surgery and how you heal
• Permanent restrictions on gripping, grasping, lifting, and repetitive use
• Your average weekly wage (AWW)
• Whether you can return to your old job or lose your trade entirely

Two workers with the same MRI can have very different case values depending on what they did for a living and what the injury does to their long-term earning power. That’s why we focus on the factors that really drive Illinois workers’ comp settlements, not phony averages.

Common Work-Related Hand Injuries in Illinois Workers’ Comp Cases (Chicago & Statewide)

Illinois workers in all kinds of jobs suffer serious hand injuries: factory workers on fast lines, welders, electricians, plumbers, delivery drivers, mechanics, warehouse workers, and more. Some of the most common diagnoses in Illinois hand cases include:

TFCC Tears (Triangular Fibrocartilage Complex)

The TFCC sits on the pinky side of your wrist and helps stabilize the wrist when you twist, grip, or lift. A TFCC tear is often called a “wrist sprain,” but it can be anything but minor. Workers get TFCC tears when they:

• Slip and fall on an outstretched hand
• Use tools that twist suddenly (drills, drivers, torque tools)
• Perform repetitive gripping or twisting in factory and trades work

Symptoms often include ulnar-sided wrist pain, clicking, weakness, and difficulty with everyday tasks like opening jars or lifting a gallon of milk. Treatment can include splints, injections, and sometimes arthroscopic surgery. When TFCC injuries leave permanent weakness or restrictions, they are typically evaluated as a partial loss of use of the
hand under Illinois workers’ comp.

Radius Fractures and Distal Radius Injuries

Falls, machine accidents, and vehicle crashes can cause fractures of the radius at the wrist. These are common in construction workers, factory workers, and tradespeople who fall off ladders or get caught in equipment. Even after the fracture heals, workers may have:

• Stiffness, loss of range of motion, and pain with weight-bearing
• Decreased grip strength or difficulty with fine motor tasks
• Arthritic changes that can worsen over time

A radius fracture is usually more than just a temporary issue. If it permanently limits your ability to lift, carry, or use tools, that limitation should be reflected in the settlement value of your case.

Metacarpal Fractures and Finger Injuries

Metacarpal fractures (the bones in your hand) and finger fractures can come from crush injuries, pinch points, or getting struck by materials or tools. After surgery, pins, or casting, some workers still have:

• Loss of motion in one or more fingers
• Decreased dexterity (especially for electricians and plumbers)
• Permanent pain, stiffness, or deformity

Illinois workers’ comp treats these injuries as a percentage loss of use of the hand, not just the individual finger. If your hand no longer works the way it did before the accident, that is a permanent impairment with real value in your case.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome is one of the most common hand and wrist problems we see in Illinois workers, especially in jobs with repetitive gripping, grasping, or vibration. Symptoms can include:

• Numbness and tingling in the thumb, index, and middle fingers
• Pain that can travel up the arm
• Nighttime symptoms and shaking the hands out
• Weak grip and dropping objects

In Illinois, carpal tunnel can be caused by repetitive work or by a single traumatic event. The law treats carpal tunnel somewhat differently than other hand injuries, including statutory caps on the percentage of loss of use of the hand in many cases. But those limits don’t mean your case has “no value,” and there are situations where higher awards are still possible. For a more focused discussion, see our separate guide on carpal tunnel workers’ compensation claims in Illinois
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De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis and Other Repetitive Tendon Injuries

Many Illinois workers who think they have carpal tunnel actually have other repetitive strain injuries, such as De Quervain’s tenosynovitis, trigger fingers, or other tendon disorders. These issues are common in:

• Factory workers doing repetitive gripping
• Welders holding tools in awkward positions
• Electricians using hand tools overhead
• Plumbers doing repetitive torqueing and tightening

These injuries can cause chronic pain, weakness, and difficulty using your hands in both work and daily life. They are classic examples of repetitive strain injuries in Illinois workers’ comp, but insurance companies often try to blame them on “age” or “degeneration.”

Degloving Injuries and Severe Hand Trauma

A degloving injury is one of the most devastating hand injuries a worker can suffer. The skin and soft tissue are peeled away from the underlying structures, often in machine accidents or conveyor incidents. These injuries can require:

• Multiple surgeries and skin grafts
• Long hospital stays and extensive therapy
• Permanent loss of function and strength

In addition to serious functional limitations, degloving often leaves significant scarring and deformity. Under Illinois law, you may have both a claim for loss of use of the hand and a separate claim for scars and disfigurement, especially when the scarring is severe or highly visible.

Repetitive Trauma Hand Injuries Are a Huge Issue in Illinois Workers’ Comp

Not every hand injury comes from a single, dramatic accident. Many of the most serious cases we see involve cumulative trauma from years of gripping, grasping, lifting, using tools, and working at pace. Illinois recognizes repetitive trauma injuries, but they can be harder to prove.

A real-world example: we represented a mechanic who spent more than 20 years using his hands all day, every day—gripping tools, breaking bolts loose, working with vibrating equipment. Over time, his hands deteriorated. He ultimately underwent more than ten hand surgeries and was left with permanent restrictions on repetitive use and
lifting. Those restrictions didn’t just end his mechanic career; they effectively ruled him out of most jobs in the economy.

In his case, we pursued benefits based on permanent total disability, not just a small “percentage of the hand.” That’s the reality for many Illinois workers whose hands are essentially useless from an industrial perspective after decades of hard work.

Why Repetitive Hand Cases Get Denied by Illinois Workers’ Comp Insurers

Even when the facts seem obvious, repetitive hand cases are often denied or delayed. Insurers love to say:

• “This is just arthritis” or “degenerative changes.”
• “Your EMG or MRI is normal, so it can’t be work-related.”
• “You waited too long to report it.”

In many cases, they deny claims until they can obtain an IME (independent medical exam) and look for a doctor who will say your job had nothing to do with your condition. That’s why it’s so important to have:

• A clear, detailed opinion from your treating doctor linking your hand problems to your work, and
• An attorney who knows how to fight back when workers’ comp denies a claim in Illinois
  

Illinois Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Hand Injuries

Hand injuries in Chicago and throughout Illinois are handled through the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC) system. There isn’t a single chart that tells you what your case is worth, but there are key elements that drive
value:

Your Diagnosis and Treatment

A mild sprain that resolves with rest and therapy is not valued the same as:

• A TFCC tear requiring arthroscopic surgery
• A comminuted radius fracture with plates or screws
• Multiple finger fractures with permanent stiffness
• Carpal tunnel requiring a release procedure
• A degloving injury with grafts and reconstruction

The more serious and permanent the medical picture, the more your case is typically worth.

Permanent Restrictions and Loss of Function

One of the biggest drivers of value is what your doctor says you can and cannot do long term. An FCE and permanent restrictions can lead to limits like:

• No repetitive gripping, grasping, or fine motor tasks
• No use of vibrating tools
• No lifting over a certain weight
• Limits on speed or production work

For workers whose entire job is hand-intensive—factory workers, welders, electricians, plumbers, mechanics—those restrictions can be career-ending. When a hand injury forces you out of your trade or into lower-paying work, we look at wage differential benefits and, in the most serious cases, permanent total disability.

Your Average Weekly Wage (AWW)

Your average weekly wage is the backbone of almost every financial calculation in an Illinois workers’ comp case. It affects:

• Your temporary total disability (TTD) rate while you’re off work
• Your permanent partial disability (PPD) rate when it’s time to settle
• Any wage differential benefits if you can’t return to your old job

Two workers with the same hand injury but very different wages will not have the same case value. That’s one reason it’s so important to have someone check that the insurance company calculated your AWW correctly.

Whether You Can Return to Your Old Job

If you fully recover and go back to your old job at the same pay, your case still has value—but typically less than if:

• You cannot safely return to your former job duties, or
• You are forced into lower-paying, light-duty work permanently.

In those situations, we look beyond a simple “percentage of the hand” and analyze your overall lost earning capacity. That’s the difference between a modest hand rating and a high-value case based on loss of occupation.

Hand Injuries, Disfigurement, and Scars in Illinois Workers’ Comp

Many serious hand injuries leave visible scars, tissue loss, or deformity, especially after surgery or degloving. Under Illinois law, you may be entitled to:

• A settlement for permanent loss of function of the hand, or
• A separate award for scars and disfigurement on visible areas such as the hands, arms below the elbow, or other exposed body parts.

The exact value depends on the location, size, and severity of the disfigurement and how it affects you in daily life and work.

What You Should Do After a Work-Related Hand Injury in Illinois

Whether your hand injury came from a sudden accident or years of repetitive work, these steps can protect both your
health and your case:

1. Report the injury to your employer as soon as you realize it may be work-related. Illinois generally gives you 45 days, but sooner is better.
2. Get medical care with a doctor who understands hand and wrist injuries, and be clear that you believe it is work-related.
3. Describe your job duties in detail so your doctor can connect your diagnosis to your repetitive tasks or accident.
4. Follow restrictions and don’t “work through” limitations just to keep your job happy.
5. Talk to an experienced Illinois workers’ comp attorney before you accept any settlement or sign any paperwork.

For a big-picture overview of how Illinois workers’ comp settlements work, see How Much Is My Illinois Workers’ Comp Case Worth?

Frequently Asked Questions About Hand Injury Workers’ Comp Cases in Illinois

1. What types of hand injuries qualify for Illinois workers’ compensation?
Most work-related hand injuries are covered, including TFCC tears, radius fractures, metacarpal fractures, carpal tunnel, tendon injuries, De Quervain’s, crush injuries, and degloving trauma. The key issue is whether your work caused, aggravated, or accelerated the condition under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act.

2. How does Illinois calculate settlement value for a work-related hand injury?
Hand injury settlements depend on your diagnosis, medical treatment, permanent restrictions, average weekly wage, and your ability to return to your job. Illinois does not use a universal “hand settlement chart.” Value is based on loss of function and long-term earning capacity.

3. Can a hand injury from repetitive trauma qualify for workers’ comp in Illinois?
Yes. Many hand injuries develop gradually from gripping, grasping, lifting, tool use, and production-pace work. These cumulative trauma cases are compensable, but often harder to prove. A strong doctor’s opinion linking your condition to repetitive job duties is essential.

4. Can I get workers’ comp if my hand injury prevents me from returning to my trade?
Yes. If permanent restrictions prevent you from returning to heavy-duty or hand-intensive work (factory, welding, electrical, plumbing, mechanics, etc.), you may qualify for wage differential benefits or, in severe cases, permanent total disability.

5. Can scarring or disfigurement from a hand injury increase my Illinois settlement?
Yes. Severe or visible scars from surgery, burns, or degloving may qualify for a separate disfigurement award. Illinois allows up to 162 weeks of benefits depending on the severity and location of the scarring.