Illinois Is Still A Strong State For Injured Workers
There have been a lot of grumblings about the changes to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act that went in to place on September 1st. We still don’t know the total impact of these changes, but many people aren’t happy.
I happen to know workers’ compensation lawyers in almost every state and have talked to a lot of them recently about the changes in the laws. They still consider Illinois to be a dream. Consider the problems you’d have if your case was in:
Tennessee: My contact there says that if you injure your back and don’t have surgery, your case has no value.
Texas: Employers don’t have to carry workers’ compensation insurance.
Minnesota, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania: Lawyers only get involved if the case is denied. So if you need questions answered or are getting jerked around a bit, it’s hard to get help.
Florida: My friend there, who used to work in Illinois, says that to get a settlement you usually have to quit your job.
Kansas: Total benefits for a case can not exceed $125,000.00. So if you have a major, long term injury you are out of luck.
Alabama: The weekly maximum benefits for time off work are a little over $200. In Illinois it’s over $1,200.
Indiana: I have yet to find a lawyer in our neighboring state who will represent an injured worker. If you know of one please pass their name on.
North Carolina: The attorneys I know there will only take on a case if they think it’s worth at least $25,000 because of the work involved in winning a claim.
New York & Oregon: The benefits aren’t bad, but the cases usually aren’t worth much unless you have a catastrophic injury. Many cases are worth zero dollars.
New Mexico, the Dakotas, Idaho, Louisiana, Alaska, Ohio, Hawaii, Mississippi, Kentucky: I haven’t found a lawyer in these states that only handles work comp cases.
Georgia & New Jersey: Two good states for injured workers, but the benefits are much lower that IL.
Iowa: If you don’t have an injury to your neck, back or shoulders or an injury that causes a career change, you’ll have an impossible time finding a lawyer.
So things are not perfect for injured workers in Illinois. But they could be much worse. As a FYI, if you are injured in Illinois, hired in Illinois or your employment is principally located out of Illinois, you can bring a claim here. So if you can avoid a crummy state, you should.
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.
Can my Employer force me to work if I'm having extreme pain from a back injury and inform me if I don't come to work then they will not pay me? Also can they just decide that they will not pay for anymore visits if I need therapy to help me maintain through the day to help the pain while I'm working?
WE REPLY: Yes they can unless you have a doctor that says you can't work. It's all up to what the doctors say.