IL Workers’ Compensation Commission Closes for In-Person Hearings

Effective November 23, 2020, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC) has canceled all in-person hearings through December 31, 2020. The IWCC will remain operational on an Emergency basis.

What does this mean for my case?

The IWCC has five total locations across the State of Illinois. Each location is capable of holding in-person hearings on an Emergency basis. One Emergency Arbitrator will be assigned to each location for the month of December.

When the parties believe they have an emergency, they will provide notice to the Emergency Arbitrator of the basis for the request and the Emergency Arbitrator will determine whether the circumstance is or is not an emergency. If the arbitrator agrees, the parties will proceed with a virtual pre-trial conference at a date and time set by the arbitrator. Let’s say after the virtual pre-trial conference, an in-person hearing is required. Then, the Emergency Arbitrator will schedule an in-person hearing for a date and time convenient to the Arbitrator.

Monthly Status Calls will still be heard

IWCC cases appear on a monthly status call every 3 months. The Arbitrators will continue to hold these monthly status conferences virtually via WebEx video conferencing. Parties will be allowed to request virtual pre-trial conferences at that time. However, in-person hearings will not be held without an emergency basis.

The changes to the IWCC procedures have been drastic over the last few months. With the electronic filing of settlement contracts, email correspondence with Arbitrators and Commissioners, and the quick-changing requirements for in-person and virtual hearings, we are all doing our best to make sure injured workers and their families have their rights protected.

Chairman Michael Brennan and all of the IWCC employees, through their hard work and dedication to this profession, have made this as smooth as possible given the conditions we are all operating under.

Questions about your workers’ comp case? Contact us today.

Are you concerned about how this news will affect your Illinois workers’ compensation case? We’re here to answer any of your questions. Call us today at (312) 874-6730 or fill out the contact form at the bottom of this page to get started now.