Travel Expenses

The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act does not explicitly state that an injured employee in Illinois is entitled to travel expenses for travel to and from his/her medical treatment.  However, the courts have held that under certain circumstances travel expenses are reimbursable.

If a claimant can show that travel to a distant doctor is necessary because the type
of medical treatment is not available in the local area, the claimant might be
entitled to reimbursement of her travel expenses.  However, if the treatment sought is available in the local area but not at a doctor that the claimant wishes to treatment with the travel expenses would not be reimbursable.

For example, in the recent case of Schmidt v. Salem Bowl, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission found that the claimant would be entitled to reimbursement for treatment with her spinal surgeon who was 40 miles away from her home because there was no evidence of a spinal surgeon closer to her.  However, the Commission found that she was not entitled to reimbursement for her MRI travel expenses at the same location because there were MRI facilities closer to her local area.   The bill for the MRI itself was still recoverable but not the travel expenses.

An attorney can help you determine whether the travel expenses may be something that is reimbursable in your claim.  These decisions are very fact and case specific.