Illinois Workers’ Compensation Settlements
Below are real Illinois workers’ compensation settlements, awards, trial wins, and disputed-case results recovered by McHargue & Jones for injured workers.
Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome. Every case depends on its own facts, medical evidence, wages, restrictions, disputed issues, insurance defenses, and Illinois workers’ compensation law.
How Much Is Your Illinois Workers’ Comp Case Worth?
There is no one-size-fits-all workers’ compensation settlement number in Illinois. Case value usually depends on the injured worker’s average weekly wage, body part, diagnosis, medical treatment, surgery, permanent restrictions, impairment evidence, ability to return to the same job, future medical care, and whether the insurance company is denying benefits.
The results below show what can happen in serious cases involving back injuries, neck fusion, shoulder surgery, knee injuries, traumatic brain injuries, PTSD, carpal tunnel, hand injuries, denied surgery, IME disputes, wage differential exposure, death benefits, and permanent total disability. For a general value guide, read What is my Illinois workers’ comp case worth? and our Illinois workers’ comp settlement chart.
New to the process? Start with our main Illinois workers’ compensation page, then review what workers’ comp pays for in Illinois and the benefits of working with a workers’ compensation attorney.
Top Workers’ Compensation Settlements in Numerical Order
- $1,549.07 per week for life for a nurse with traumatic brain injury and PTSD who was found permanently totally disabled.
- $955,000 settlement for a union worker with a career-ending shoulder injury, brachial plexus injury, and permanent total disability.
- $906,000 settlement for a factory worker with a career-ending back injury requiring surgery.
- $700,000 settlement for a union pipefitter with an L5-S1 herniated disc and future wage loss.
- $690,000 settlement for a union heavy machine operator with career-ending thoracic outlet syndrome.
- $638,000 recovery for a union roofer after a denied cervical fusion surgery trial win and future lost wage recovery.
- $562,000 settlement for a mechanic with career-ending repetitive hand injuries.
- $500,000 settlement for a Spanish-speaking furniture delivery driver with a career-ending traumatic brain injury.
- $500,000 settlement for a furniture store worker with a denied back injury claim after the employer denied both the accident and employment relationship.
Brain Injury, Concussion and PTSD Workers’ Compensation Settlements
- $1,549.07 per week for life, with an estimated lifetime value well in excess of $1 million, for a nurse who was attacked by a patient and suffered a severe traumatic brain injury with PTSD. We tried the case before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission and proved that she would never be able to return to work and was permanently totally disabled.
- $500,000 settlement for a Spanish-speaking furniture delivery driver who suffered a career-ending traumatic brain injury when a dolly fell from a truck and struck him in the head.
- $300,000 wage differential settlement for a mechanic who suffered a brain injury with PTSD after an air compressor exploded at work. We established permanent restrictions caused by the PTSD that prevented him from returning to his prior type of work.
- $300,000 settlement, plus open medical rights for life, for a Cook County office worker who suffered career-ending PTSD and agoraphobia after a severe verbal assault by her supervisor.
Cervical Herniated Disc, Bulging Disc and Neck Fusion Settlements
- $638,000 recovery in future lost wages for a union roofer with a career-ending neck injury. The insurance company denied approval of his cervical fusion surgery. We took the depositions of the doctors involved, tried the case, won the surgery, and proved his ongoing disability.
- $388,000 settlement for permanent total disability benefits and future medical benefits for a Spanish-speaking factory worker who suffered disc bulges to her cervical and lumbar spine requiring permanent restrictions.
- $385,000 settlement, plus $39,000 for future medical care, for a nurse who suffered C4-5, C5-6, and C6-7 disc herniations requiring cervical fusion surgery after injuring her neck while moving a patient in a nursing home. The insurance company’s IME claimed the surgery was unnecessary and unrelated. We went to trial, won the neck surgery and all back pay, and later settled the case after she was released with career-ending permanent restrictions.
- $167,000 settlement for a factory worker who suffered C5-C6 and C6-C7 disc herniations with foraminal stenosis and cervical radiculopathy requiring surgery. He also suffered a SLAP tear of the left shoulder requiring surgery and returned to the same employer in a lighter supervisory role.
- $158,000 settlement for a nurse who was injured while lifting a patient at work and suffered a cervical bulging disc requiring cervical fusion surgery. She was released with permanent restrictions.
- $112,000 settlement for a truck driver who suffered C5-6 and C6-7 herniated discs in his neck after lifting pallets at work.
- $100,000 settlement for a Spanish-speaking temporary staffing agency worker who suffered cervical disc herniations requiring injections after a box fell on his head at a warehouse.
Lumbar Herniated Disc, Sciatica, Lumbar Fusion and Low Back Settlements
- $906,000 settlement for a factory worker who suffered a career-ending back injury requiring surgery. The settlement included indemnity benefits and future medical benefits.
- $700,000 settlement for a union pipefitter who suffered an L5-S1 herniated disc after a lifting injury at work. She underwent injections and back surgery, and a fusion surgery was recommended but declined. She was released with permanent restrictions that prevented her from returning to her former job. After workers’ compensation paid for vocational rehabilitation and placement services, we settled the case based on her change in occupation and future wage loss.
- $500,000 settlement for a furniture store worker who suffered a career-ending back injury requiring surgery after moving heavy items. The employer initially denied that the accident occurred and denied that he was an employee at all.
- $425,000 settlement for a warehouse worker who tripped and fell in a parking lot, requiring back fusion surgery and ankle ligament repair surgery. He was released with permanent restrictions. After we hired a vocational expert to assess his future employment options, the case settled based on future lost wages.
- $415,000 settlement for a Spanish-speaking factory worker who underwent two back surgeries and was released with permanent restrictions. He required a lumbar fusion surgery for a lumbar herniated disc, but the surgery failed when the bone did not fuse, requiring a revision surgery. The case resolved as a compromise for future permanent total disability benefits.
- $385,000 settlement for a fast food worker who required back surgery and permanent restrictions after a work injury.
- $360,000 settlement for a truck driver who suffered a career-ending back injury after falling from a ladder at work. He underwent knee surgery and received a recommendation for back surgery, which he declined. He was released with permanent restrictions and could not return to work as a truck driver. The settlement was based on future wage differential benefits.
- $293,000 settlement for a construction worker who suffered lumbar spine herniated discs requiring permanent restrictions after falling from a ladder at work.
- $275,000 settlement for a construction worker who suffered a lumbar herniated disc requiring surgery and permanent restrictions.
- $262,500 settlement for a factory worker who suffered a spine injury when a heavy roll of materials fell on him at work.
- $250,000 settlement for a construction worker who suffered an L5-S1 injury after a lifting accident at work. He required lumbar fusion surgery and was released with permanent restrictions.
- $250,000 settlement for an injured machine operator who required back surgery.
- $208,000 settlement for a factory worker at Bimbo Bakery who suffered a lumbar disc bulge with sciatica after a lifting injury at work. She underwent surgery, was released with permanent restrictions, and did not return to her former job.
- $133,000 settlement for a construction worker who suffered L4-5 and L5-S1 herniated discs after slipping and falling on ice at work. The workers’ compensation insurance company denied that his back condition was related to work. We went to trial and won authorization for a lumbar laminectomy and fusion surgery. He later returned to work full duty.
- $121,000 settlement for a kitchen worker who suffered L4-5 and L5-S1 herniated discs requiring surgery after a lifting accident at work.
- $101,000 settlement for a Spanish-speaking factory worker and packer who suffered a lumbar herniated disc with radiculopathy, also known as sciatica, after catching a falling bin at work. She underwent injections but did not have surgery. She was released with permanent restrictions and ultimately returned to work elsewhere in a different occupation at comparable wages.
- $100,000 settlement for a janitor who slipped and fell on ice while taking out the trash at work, suffering L4-5 and L5-S1 disc herniations and bulges requiring lumbar fusion surgery.
Shoulder, Rotator Cuff, Thoracic Outlet and Brachial Plexus Settlements
- $955,000 settlement for a union worker who suffered a career-ending shoulder injury. Complications from surgery resulted in a brachial plexus injury and permanent total disability. The settlement included indemnity benefits and future medical benefits.
- $690,000 settlement for a union heavy machine operator who suffered a career-ending thoracic outlet syndrome injury after repetitive and vibratory work activities. The settlement included indemnity benefits and future medical benefits.
- $400,000 settlement for future permanent total disability benefits for a Spanish-speaking metal fabricator and factory worker who suffered a torn rotator cuff requiring two shoulder surgeries. The workers’ compensation insurance company denied the first surgery, claiming the condition was pre-existing. We went to trial, won the initial surgery and back pay, and later settled the case for permanent total disability benefits after the second surgery.
- $350,000 settlement representing future lost wages for a union electrical line worker after career-ending shoulder surgery.
- $327,000 settlement, plus approximately $13,000 for future medical care, for a union truck driver who suffered a career-ending shoulder and rotator cuff injury after a fall at work. The insurance company denied the case based on its IME, who claimed the injury was only a contusion and a pre-existing tear. We tried the case and won the shoulder surgery before later resolving the case as a compromise permanent total disability settlement.
- $300,000 settlement for a Spanish-speaking construction worker who suffered shoulder rotator cuff tears requiring multiple surgeries and permanent restrictions. The settlement was based on future wage differential benefits because he could not return to his prior construction work.
- $215,000 settlement for a kitchen worker who tripped and fell at work, suffering a rotator cuff tear that required surgery.
- $200,000 settlement for a chef who suffered tears of the shoulder supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons requiring four surgeries. He was released with permanent restrictions and could not return to his former occupation.
- $196,000 settlement for an Xfinity/Comcast worker who suffered a rotator cuff tear requiring surgery and permanent restrictions.
Knee, Meniscus, Patellar Tendon and Leg Injury Settlements
- $480,000 settlement for a construction worker who suffered a meniscus tear at work requiring surgery. The accident also aggravated his pre-existing degenerative knee condition, requiring gel injections and permanent restrictions even after surgery. He was unable to return to construction work, and the case resolved as a compromise for future wage differential benefits.
- $275,000 settlement, plus $45,000 for future medical care, for a nursing home worker who fractured her tibia and tore her meniscus, requiring open reduction and internal fixation surgery to the tibia and treatment for the meniscus injury. She was released with permanent restrictions and could not return to work, so the settlement represented a compromise for future permanent total disability benefits.
- $275,000 settlement for a funeral home worker who suffered a career-ending knee injury requiring surgery.
- $200,000 settlement for a factory worker who required multiple knee surgeries after suffering a meniscus tear at work. A knee replacement surgery was recommended, but he declined the procedure. He was released with permanent restrictions.
- $141,000 settlement for an AT&T worker who suffered a broken leg in an accident at work.
- $112,000 settlement for an executive who suffered bilateral patellar tendon tears in both knees at a work-related event at a trampoline park. The injuries required three surgeries.
- $110,000 settlement for a factory worker who tripped and fell at work, suffering meniscus tears to both knees requiring surgery.
- Confidential result after we won bilateral knee surgeries and more than a year in back pay for a worker who fell down wet stairs at work. The employer denied the accident entirely and made no offer before trial.
Ankle Fracture, Foot Injury and Ligament Tear Workers’ Compensation Settlements
- $450,000 settlement for future lost wages and future medical expenses in a compromise permanent total disability case for a landscaper and tree trimmer who fell out of a tree, shattered both ankles, tore multiple ligaments, and required multiple foot and ankle surgeries, with additional surgeries recommended. Before settlement, we obtained nearly a decade of TTD benefits and proved that he would not return to any work again.
- $325,000 settlement for a FedEx delivery driver who injured her ankle while stepping down from her truck and landing in a pothole. The injury required ligament repair surgery. She was released with permanent restrictions and could not return to her former job.
Hip Labrum Tear Workers’ Compensation Settlements
- $175,000 settlement for a Quaker Oats factory worker who tripped and fell, suffering a torn hip labrum, knee contusions, and shoulder tendonitis. The workers’ compensation insurance company denied that she needed permanent restrictions based on its IME. We went to trial and won a functional capacity evaluation, which showed permanent restrictions that prevented her from returning to her former job. The settlement represented a compromise between future lost wages and loss of use of the body as a whole due to the loss of her occupation.
Elbow Injury Workers’ Compensation Settlements
- $300,000 settlement for a construction worker who suffered a career-ending elbow injury after falling from a roof at work. The injury required surgery and resulted in permanent restrictions.
- $130,000 settlement for a FedEx worker who suffered lateral epicondylitis requiring surgery and permanent restrictions.
Hand, Wrist, Finger and Crush Injury Workers’ Compensation Settlements
- $562,000 settlement for a mechanic who suffered career-ending injuries to his hands after years of forceful, repetitive work. The settlement included indemnity benefits and future medical benefits.
- $475,000 settlement representing wage differential benefits for a truck driver who suffered a hand and thumb injury that prevented her from returning to work in commercial driving.
- $465,000 recovery in future lost wages for a machine operator whose hands were trapped in a laminating machine, causing severe permanent damage even after multiple surgeries. The insurance company denied that the accident happened before the case moved toward trial.
- $211,000 settlement for a Costco worker who suffered a crushing injury to her hand. Although she did not require surgery, the injury caused a severe aggravation of arthritis. She was released with permanent restrictions and could not return to work.
- $211,000 settlement for a home healthcare worker and nurse who slipped and fell while caring for a patient, suffering torn tendons in her wrist and a shoulder rotator cuff tear.
- $113,000 settlement for an Amazon worker who fractured metacarpals in his hand in an accident at work, requiring surgery.
Carpal Tunnel, Cubital Tunnel and Repetitive Hand Injury Workers’ Compensation Settlements
- $200,000 settlement for a Jewel-Osco grocery cashier who suffered bilateral carpal tunnel and cubital tunnel injuries after years of repetitive scanning work. The insurance company denied the case entirely. McHargue & Jones took the case to trial and won her surgeries and back pay.
Multiple Injury, Construction and Denied Surgery Workers’ Compensation Results
- $435,000 recovery in future lost wages for a construction worker with a career-ending injury. The insurance company denied his spine and shoulder surgeries. We tried the case, won approval and payment of his lost time and medical care, and later resolved the case after he could not return to construction work.
- $250,000 settlement for an Amazon worker who required multiple surgeries and permanent restrictions after a work injury.
Death Benefit Workers’ Compensation Settlements
- $431,000 settlement for workers’ compensation death benefits after an injured worker died due to complications from her surgery.
Injured at Work in Illinois?
McHargue & Jones helps injured workers when insurance companies deny medical treatment, delay TTD checks, dispute surgery, rely on an IME, minimize permanent restrictions, or refuse to pay fair settlement value for future wage loss.
This page includes examples of past workers’ compensation settlements, trial wins, verdicts, and awards. These results are not a promise, guarantee, or prediction of the outcome of any future case. Every Illinois workers’ compensation case depends on its own facts, including the injury, medical evidence, wages, treatment, work restrictions, future medical needs, disputed issues, and applicable law.