If the insurance company or employer is unreasonable we can't get punitive damages, but . . .
We can get what is called penalties and fees. Essentially, if you are not getting your benefits and there is no good reason - such as a reasonable dispute as to the extent of your injury or how it occurred - then they can be punished.
In fact they can be punished as much as 50% of your medical bills, money for each day that TTD benefits are inappropriately denied and 20% for attorney's fees which puts more money in your pockets.
There are often legitimate reasons that cases are disputed such as an IME report. But often insurance companies just do the wrong thing. We are amazed that more attorneys don't take advantage of this law and take their cases to trial. In a recent case, an insurance company had to pay more than $110,000 in penalties because of their awful behavior.
If you are getting screwed over for no reason the law is on your side. Use it to your advantage.
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.
