The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute has published, in graph form, some of their findings comparing Worker’s Compensation statistics across several states.
One significant statistic is that the average cost of incurred benefits in Illinois, for claims with more than seven days of lost time, decreased from $59,907 in 2009, to $44,145 in 2011. However, of the 15 states involved in the study, Illinois had the highest average cost in both 2009 and 2011. In 2011, of the 15 states studied, Iowa ranked fourth highest ($37,798), California ranked eighth highest ($32,032), and Wisconsin ranked ninth highest ($31,419). In all of these states, the cost decreased in 2011, compared against 2009 costs.
The WCRI also examined the number of claims with more than seven days of lost time, as a percentage of all paid claims. This study was for claims that arose from October 2010 through September 2011. Of the sixteen states studied here, Illinois ranked second highest, with 26% of all paid claims involving more than seven days of lost time. California ranked third highest (25%), Iowa ranked eighth highest (18%), Wisconsin ranked twelfth highest (16%), and Indiana ranked the lowest (16th at 13%).
Also of note is the average duration of temporary disability. The same sixteen states were studied for claims arising in the same time period. In Illinois, the average temporary disability for a claim with more than seven days of lost time was 14 weeks (tied at fifth/sixth highest). California averaged 16 weeks (second highest), Indiana averaged 10 weeks (three way tie 12/13/14th), and Iowa and Wisconsin tied for the shortest duration of temporary disability (15/16th at an average of 9 weeks).
The graphs that the WCRI has published can be found here.
Thanks to attorney Michael Bantz for following this important issue. If readers have any questions regarding this study, they can be sent to Michael at