You decide when your case is closed
Just got off the phone with a nice woman whose husband had a piece of wood go through his leg. This happened six months ago. He had a surgery to remove the wood fragments and his employer's insurance company paid all of his medical bills. He asked for a settlement and they said no because "you don't have a permanent injury." His leg is now bothering him so he asked for more medical care. They said no because "we closed your case."
Not withstanding that there are time limits to formally pursue a case, the insurance company can't on their own decide a case is closed. The only way to do that officially is for the case to be settled. This client can get more treatment at their expense.
On top of that, despite them saying he has no permanent injury, almost any injury has some settlement value. We don't pursue superficial injuries, but this guy had a leg surgery. I don't know what it's worth until I see his medical records, but based on his wages it's likely somewhere in the five figures.
So no matter what you are told remember that you can take control of your case. You just need to know the law.
We are workers' compensation attorneys that help people with Illinois work injuries anywhere in IL via our statewide network of attorneys. Contact us and we will answer your questions or find the right lawyer for your situation.
