Illinois workers' compensation settlement lies
A very seriously injured worker came to us recently for help. He had been jerked around with his pay, approval of treatment, payment of bills and which doctors he could or couldn't see.
He hadn't called a lawyer before because in his own words, "The adjuster was just so nice to me and said that this is how it is in Illinois. She also told me the best advice I'd I've get is to not hire an attorney because settlement amounts are set no matter what the lawyer does."
I almost fell out of my chair when I heard the last part. I've seen workers get screwed, but never have I seen an adjuster flat out lie about what is or isn't available when the case ends.
The fact of the matter is that no case is worth a set amount except for when you have a body part that is amputated and you make a full return to work. Otherwise there is a range of what your case is worth.
For our very nice caller, his range was between $60,000.00 on the low end and $350,000.00 on the high end. Most cases aren't that drastic, but every case has a wide range of what it "could" be worth.
Attorneys in Illinois get 20% of what they recover. If you aren't represented, most adjusters knock 20% off the top of any offer they make. Their performance is judged by how much money they save. Our performance (and pay) is judged by how much money we can get for you. Who do you think is going to look out for you?
We ask that our clients be honest in every aspect of their case. It's a shame that insurance adjusters can't do the same.
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.
