Illinois Workers’ Compensation Guide 2026

Report the accident as soon as practicable

Illinois section 6 generally requires notice to the employer as soon as practicable and no later than 45 days after the accident. Notice can be oral or written and should give the approximate date and place. A written report helps preserve what was communicated, when, and to whom.

Medical care and provider choice

The Act requires the employer to pay reasonably necessary first aid, medical, surgical, hospital, nursing, and related services for a compensable injury. Provider-choice rules depend in part on whether the employer has an approved Preferred Provider Program and whether the worker accepts or opts out. Referrals within a treatment chain and emergency care can affect how choices are counted.

Preserve network notices, opt-out documents, referrals, prescriptions, work-status notes, bills, and mileage records. The IWCC handbook provides a practical overview; the statute controls when there is a conflict.

Temporary and permanent benefits

Three working days and the 14-day rule

TTD is payable from the fourth working day when total incapacity lasts more than three working days. If total incapacity continues for at least 14 days from the accident, compensation starts the day after the accident. Medical care does not depend on satisfying this wage-loss waiting period.

File an Application for Adjustment of Claim

For most accidental injuries, section 6 states that an application generally must be filed within three years after the accident if no compensation has been paid, or within two years after the last payment of compensation if compensation has been paid, whichever is later. Occupational disease, asbestos, radiological exposure, death, legal disability, and other facts can have different rules.

An employer’s accident report is not the worker’s claim application. Use the current IWCC form and filing system, follow service instructions, and retain the case number and submitted copy.

Official Illinois help

The IWCC lists its Information Unit at 866-352-3033 toll-free within Illinois and 312-814-6611. The Commission can provide procedural information but cannot act as a worker’s lawyer.