What Illinois Law Says About Workers’ Comp Coverage for Traveling Employees
Classification as a traveling employee applies to individuals who are required by their employer to travel as part of their job. Understanding how Illinois law applies to traveling employees can make the difference between receiving full benefits or having a claim denied.
Who Qualifies as a Traveling Employee?
Traveling employees often include:
- Electricians & IBEW members
- Plumbers & Pipefitters
- Carpenters & Bricklayers
- Elevator constructors & Iron workers
- Construction laborers & Painters
- Roofers & Teamster members
- Sales representatives & Consultants
Illinois law recognizes that many workers do not report to a singular job site. For example, many union trade workers travel to multiple job sites in a single day, while others may report to one temporary location for weeks or months before moving to another.
How Does the Law Work in Northern Illinois?
Under the Illinois Workers' Compensation Act, employees who travel for work are covered from the moment they leave home until they return, so long as the travel is a requirement of the job.
Injuries that occur during that travel are often considered to “arise out of, and occur in, the course of employment,” and therefore, may be compensable under Illinois Workers’ Compensation law. This protection is especially important for union trade workers, whose job duties routinely require movement between locations.
How Long Do I Have to Notify My Employer?
The Illinois Workers' Compensation Act requires that an individual must notify their employer within 45 days of an accident. This notification must happen in the allotted period of time in order to be eligible for benefits under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act.
This does not need to be a formal process. An injured employee can simply notify their employer, preferably in writing, that an accident has occurred and/or that they are experiencing a medical condition related to work.
What Benefits Are Available to Injured Traveling Workers?
When an employee is injured in an accident while traveling to or from a job site, it’s imperative to understand the protections available under Illinois workers' compensation laws. Traveling employees may be entitled to:
- Payment of necessary medical expenses
- Temporary Total Disability (TTD) benefits
- Permanent partial disability benefits, if applicable
- Coverage for eligible out-of-pocket expenses
Experience & Expertise You Can Trust
The team at Black & Jones has extensive knowledge and vast experience in representing traveling employees throughout northern Illinois who have been injured while traveling to or from work. If you or someone you know is a traveling employee who has been in a work-related accident, Black & Jones is your trusted resource in the Rockford area to help secure the workers’ compensation benefits you deserve. Fill out this form to get started or call us today at (815) 967-9000.