Personal injury is an overarching term for an injury that occurs to a person's body. A personal injury could occur on the job. It could occur while you're driving home. But the main different between a on-the-job injury is what they call a worker's compensation claim. A worker's compensation claim in the state of Illinois, you do not have to show fault or negligence. If you were working and you were injured you have the right to file a claim. That claim may also relate to a negligence suit. For example, if you are a truck driver and you are driving through town and somebody runs through a red light and hits you, you could file both a worker's compensation claim and a personal injury negligence law suit.