Illinois Workers’ Comp Settlement Chart (How Much Is Your Case Worth?)
By Matthew C. Jones, Chicago workers’ compensation attorney | Last reviewed September 2026
Quick answer: Illinois has a real permanent partial disability (PPD) schedule that assigns a number of weeks to certain body parts. It is often what people mean by an “Illinois workers’ comp settlement chart.” It does not set a guaranteed dollar amount for a settlement. You still need the applicable PPD rate, the percentage of loss, and a careful look at your work restrictions and future benefits.
Jump to the PPD schedule to find the statutory weeks for a body part, then see the worked example. If you already have an offer, the important question is whether it accounts for your actual injury, wages, ability to return to work, and any rights you would give up. Our full Illinois case-value guide addresses those broader questions.
Have a settlement offer or permanent restrictions?
The chart is a starting point. We can review your wage records, medical reports, restrictions, and proposed settlement terms to see what questions need answering.
What Is the Illinois Workers’ Comp Settlement Chart?
The official schedule lists the weeks assigned to specified body parts for injuries on or after June 28, 2011. For a partial loss of use, the percentage of loss is applied to that body part’s scheduled weeks. A separate PPD weekly rate, generally based on 60% of average weekly wage and subject to the applicable minimum and maximum, then produces a statutory benefit calculation.
This calculation is useful, but a negotiated settlement may involve other rights and risks. Some cases also belong in a different category, including wage differential, person-as-a-whole PPD, disfigurement, or permanent total disability. The types of Illinois workers’ comp benefits guide explains those distinctions.
Official Illinois Workers’ Comp PPD Schedule (Quick Chart)
Below is a quick-reference version of the official Illinois body-part schedule for common PPD categories used in many workers’ compensation cases.
| Body Part / Loss | Weeks | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Thumb | 76 | Common in crush, laceration, tendon, fracture, and amputation cases. |
| First (index) finger | 43 | Can matter more when grip strength and hand function are affected. |
| Hand | 205 | Often relevant in fracture, nerve, tendon, crush, and repetitive-trauma claims. |
| Arm | 253 | Can be used for shoulder and upper-extremity loss in many cases. |
| Foot | 167 | Relevant in fracture, ligament, crush, and chronic-pain cases. |
| Leg | 215 | Often implicated in knee and lower-extremity cases. |
| Eye | 162 | Important in vision-loss and eye-trauma claims. |
| Hearing loss of one ear | 54 | Usually arises in occupational-hearing-loss claims. |
| Hearing loss of both ears | 215 | Can significantly increase overall disability value. |
| Disfigurement | 162 | May apply in scar, burn, and visible-mark cases. |
Official source: View the IWCC handbook and complete PPD schedule
Example: 10% loss of use of a thumb
The schedule lists 76 weeks for a thumb. Ten percent of 76 weeks is 7.6 weeks. If the worker’s average weekly wage is $1,000 and the applicable PPD rate is $600 per week (60% of AWW), the illustrative calculation is 7.6 × $600 = $4,560.
That is an illustration of scheduled PPD math, not a promised settlement amount. The injury date’s minimum and maximum rates, correct AWW, disputed percentage, other benefits, and settlement terms can change the analysis. For wage calculations and weekly checks, read how much workers’ comp pays in Illinois.
How the Illinois Workers’ Comp Settlement Chart Actually Works
Start with the correct benefit category and body part, then apply the supported percentage of permanent loss and the PPD rate for the injury date. The IWCC benefit-rates page lists current and historical minimums and maximums. The schedule does not tell you which percentage is appropriate or whether a different benefit category fits better.
For injuries on or after September 1, 2011, Illinois law assesses permanent disability using several factors, including a reported impairment rating, occupation, age at injury, future earning capacity, and disability supported by treating records. No one factor controls by itself. That is why an insurer’s proposed percentage is not automatically the last word.
Is an AMA Impairment Rating the Same as the PPD Percentage?
No. A doctor’s AMA impairment rating is one factor in the Illinois disability analysis. It is not necessarily the final percentage of loss of use, and it does not set the settlement amount. Job demands, medical records, restrictions, age, and future earning capacity also matter. See our Illinois impairment-rating guide if an adjuster is treating one number as the whole case.
What Usually Increases the Value of an Illinois Workers’ Comp Case?
The chart by itself does not answer this question. Real settlement value tends to go up when one or more of the following are true:
- You needed surgery or other significant treatment.
- You have permanent restrictions that affect your ability to work.
- You cannot return to your old job or your earnings drop permanently.
- Your medical records consistently document ongoing symptoms, functional loss, and objective findings.
- Your injury affects a major body part or your person as a whole in a way that changes your long-term work life.
For deeper guidance on two of the biggest value drivers, read:
- Does Surgery Increase the Value of My Workers’ Comp Case in Illinois?
- How FCEs & Permanent Restrictions Affect Illinois Workers’ Comp Settlements
What Usually Lowers the Value of a Workers’ Comp Case?
Value often goes down when:
- the injury fully heals with little or no lasting loss,
- you return to the same job at the same pay,
- there are treatment gaps or weak medical support,
- there is a dispute about whether the injury is work-related, or
- you settle before your long-term condition is actually clear.
Returning to the same job and pay does not eliminate PPD if permanent loss remains. And if you settle too early, you may be signing away rights before the long-term impact is clear.
Why the Same Body-Part Injury Can Lead to Very Different Settlements
Example 1: Same shoulder, different outcome
Worker A has shoulder pain, goes to therapy, and returns to work with no restrictions. Worker B tears a rotator cuff, needs surgery, and ends up with permanent lifting restrictions. Even if both are “shoulder” claims, Worker B’s case is usually worth more because the long-term functional loss is greater.
Example 2: Same MRI, different wage impact
Two workers may both have a disc injury. One returns to the same job at the same pay. The other cannot go back to heavy labor and has to take a much lower-paying job. The second worker’s case may involve much more than a routine PPD analysis.
Example 3: Same surgery, different earning capacity
A hand surgery on an office worker and the same hand surgery on a mechanic, welder, or warehouse worker may affect earning capacity very differently. That difference can matter when settlement value is evaluated.
For the full discussion of settlement value, see what an Illinois workers’ comp case may be worth.
When the chart is the wrong measure
If permanent restrictions keep you out of your prior occupation, the claim may involve wage differential, vocational issues, or in the most severe cases permanent total disability. The value is then tied to more than scheduled weeks. Read what happens with permanent work restrictions and which benefits may apply.
For a real example of why a body-part chart cannot predict a result, our case results include a $906,000 settlement for a factory worker with a career-ending back injury requiring surgery. That result depended on that worker’s facts; it is not a comparable estimate for another claim.
Settlement Value by Injury Type in Illinois Workers’ Compensation Cases
The quickest way to improve a chart estimate is to compare it against the body part and treatment pattern that actually matches your injury.
- Back Injury Settlement Amounts in Illinois Workers’ Comp
- How Much Is a Shoulder Injury Worth in Illinois Workers’ Comp?
- How Much Does Workers’ Comp Pay for a Knee Injury in Illinois?
- How Much Is a Neck Injury Worth in Illinois Workers’ Comp?
- How Much Is a Hand Injury Worth in Illinois Workers’ Comp?
- How Much Is a Concussion or TBI Worth in Illinois Workers’ Comp?
- How Much Is a Scar Worth Under Illinois Workers’ Comp?
- How Much is an Elbow Injury Worth in Illinois Workers’ Comp?
- CRPS and Illinois Workers’ Comp
- Foot and Ankle Injury Value
Does Surgery Increase the Value of a Workers’ Comp Case?
Often, yes, but not automatically.
Surgery can be important evidence of the injury and its treatment, and the outcome may support a stronger permanent disability claim. But surgery alone does not decide the case. A worker who has surgery and returns to full duty with no restrictions may have a different settlement picture than a worker who has surgery and still cannot safely return to the same job.
For a full breakdown, read: Does Surgery Increase the Value of My Workers’ Comp Case in Illinois?
How Permanent Restrictions and FCEs Affect Settlement Value
Permanent restrictions are one of the biggest reasons a simple “chart” analysis can fall short.
If your doctor says you cannot safely return to your old work, that can increase settlement value dramatically. In some cases, the real issue is no longer just a body part. The real issue becomes your ability to earn a living going forward.
If you have an FCE, permanent lifting limits, or restrictions on bending, kneeling, climbing, overhead work, repetitive use, or prolonged standing, read this next: How FCEs & Permanent Restrictions Affect Illinois Workers’ Comp Settlements
Why Amputation Claims May Be Worth More Than the Settlement Chart Shows
Amputation cases are a good example of why an Illinois workers’ comp settlement chart is only a starting point. A finger, hand, foot, arm, leg, or toe amputation may have a statutory scheduled-loss value under Illinois law, but the full value of the case may depend on much more than the body-part schedule.
In a serious workplace amputation claim, the injured worker may also need prosthetics, assistive devices, future medical care, PTSD treatment, permanent work restrictions, vocational rehabilitation, wage differential benefits, or an evaluation of a possible third-party negligence claim. That is why the scheduled-loss number does not always tell the whole story.
For a deeper explanation, read our guide to Illinois workers’ comp amputation claims.
When Do Illinois Workers’ Comp Cases Usually Settle?
Most meaningful settlement discussions happen at or near maximum medical improvement (MMI). That is when your doctors are usually in the best position to say:
- whether you still need more treatment,
- whether you will have permanent restrictions, and
- how the injury affects your long-term function and work ability.
If you settle before that, you may be guessing about future medical needs and future work loss.
For the full timing guide, read: When Will My Workers’ Comp Case Settle in Illinois?
What This Chart Cannot Tell You
The weeks in the schedule do not reveal whether the average weekly wage is correct, whether future medical care will be needed, or whether permanent restrictions prevent a return to your trade. They also cannot tell you what rights an offered settlement would close. If you are unsure how those issues affect the offer, see the broader case-value guide or talk with our Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers.
Do You Need a Lawyer to Get a Fair Workers’ Comp Settlement?
Not every case needs a lawyer on day one. But serious cases often get more complicated than a chart can capture.
That is especially true when there are disputes about:
- medical treatment,
- average weekly wage,
- permanent restrictions,
- return-to-work ability,
- future earning capacity, or
- whether the insurer is pushing settlement too early.
For a full breakdown, read whether you need a lawyer for a workers’ comp settlement. If the dispute cannot be resolved, our Illinois hearing and trial guide explains what happens next.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Illinois Workers’ Comp Settlement Chart
Is there a real Illinois workers’ comp settlement chart?
Yes and no. Illinois has a real PPD schedule of body parts, and that schedule is an important starting point in many permanent partial disability cases. But there is no chart that can guarantee what your case will settle for.
What is the official Illinois workers’ comp chart?
The schedule is in Section 8(e) of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act and reproduced in the IWCC handbook.
How do I find current Illinois workers’ comp rates?
Use the official IWCC rates page here: Illinois Workers’ Comp Benefit Rates.
Does the chart tell me exactly what my case is worth?
No. It is a guide. Real case value depends on the wage rate, medical evidence, restrictions, occupation, future earning capacity, and whether you can return to work.
Should I settle before I reach MMI?
Usually that is risky. Until your condition stabilizes, it is often impossible to know whether the offer fairly accounts for permanent disability and future medical issues.
What page should I read if I want the broader settlement guide, not just the chart?
Start here: What Is My Illinois Workers’ Comp Case Worth?
Talk With a Chicago Workers’ Comp Lawyer About Your Offer
If you have a proposed percentage or settlement offer, the useful review is specific: the injury date and wage rate, medical outcome, work restrictions, future treatment, and the benefit category that actually fits. We can explain where the PPD chart helps and where it leaves important questions unanswered.
What Our Clients Say
Read feedback from injured workers we have represented across Illinois.
Get a Free Review of Your Workers’ Comp Case
Tell us about the injury, your wages, treatment, restrictions, and any offer you received. No attorney fee unless we recover for you. Se habla español.
This page provides general information, not an estimate for a particular claim. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
