Bless you and your Illinois work injury
A reader asks:
Please help me find a Joliet workers compensation attorney or someone near there like Frankfort, New Lenox, Lockport or Bolingbrook. Honestly, anywhere in Will County is fine. I was lifting a box at my job the other day that weighed about 50 pounds. While doing that I had to sneeze. As soon as I sneezed I felt a pop in my back. I've got a herniated disc and the insurance company denied my case because they said injuries from a sneeze aren't covered as that could have happened anywhere. Am I stuck dealing with this back injury on my own? I can't work and will lose my house.
Generally speaking, if you just sneeze or cough or doing anything that isn't caused by your job, any injury from that will not be considered work related just because it happened at your job.
That said, this reader is different than most people. He was carrying a 50 pound box when he sneezed and that surely played a role in him hurting his back. It may take a report from an orthopedic doctor to win this case, but once that is obtained it's pretty clear that the job at least contributed to his condition.
The key to this case will probably be what he said if he gave a recorded statement (hopefully he didn't and you never should if they ask you to) and what he told his doctor when he gave a history of how he got hurt. But barring anything unusual this case is a winner.
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.
