When they bite off their nose to spite their face
We are a workers' compensation law firm in Chicago, but what we do is unique in that we give free advice and then recommend an attorney (not always us) who we think is best suited to handle your case based on the unique facts of your case. Two+ years ago we referred a caller to a lawyer in our network who is really good at knee injuries and is well liked by the Arbitrators in Joliet where the claim was going to be heard.
The dispute in the case was over whether a surgery was needed or not. The attorney did what he should which is get the case ready for trial and proceed. The Arbitrator found in favor of our client. That made sense as the treating doctor said surgery was needed and it was related to the job injury. He also said until surgery takes place our client can't work. They appealed to the Commission as is their right and as happens with most cases, the party that won at arbitration (us) won the appeal. For some reason they appealed to the Circuit Court and we won there too. They can try to appeal it further, but it seems like a waste of time.
Meanwhile, they now owe our client more than two years of TTD benefits for his time off of work and they still have to pay for the surgery.
I don't think it happened in this case, but sometimes insurance companies will appeal as long as they can in order to push injured workers to the brink. Our guy is fortunate that he can survive financially, but others aren't so lucky.
If you are hurt on the job and it appears that there is going to be a dispute over your benefits, we suggest that you prepare for the worst situation which is a possible delay of the outcome. Sometimes you win in the end, but suffer to get there. Don't sell yourself short and resolve your case when you still need medical treatment or have no job. Even when things get tough, there is usually a light at the end of the tunnel and in the end you usually win and the insurance company discovers it wasn't worth it.
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.
