Statute Did Not Allow Employer to Use Credit Against Judgment

An Illinois statute did not prevent an injured worker from enforcing an award against his employer, despite the fact that the employer had a credit that was larger than the award, an appellate court ruled. Case: Patel v. Home Depot USA, No. 1-10-3217, 2/2/12, published. Facts: Naresh Patel, a Home Depot employee, filed workers' compensation claims for two separate work-related accidents. Procedural History: An arbitrator awarded Patel $22,799 in temporary total disability (TTD) benefits, penalties, and attorney fees. Next, the arbitrator granted Home Depot a credit of $27,357 for TTD benef...