A reader asks:
About 4 months ago I got hurt at work I hurt my knee from kneeling a lot at work from working on equipment I have seen doctors and did 12 appointments of pt and have been released from doctor I lost about 35 hr of work for doctor appointments, haven’t heard anything more from workmans comp .I have been done for three weeks now do you think they will pay me for lost time or a settlement?
If this reader is entitled to be paid for missing time from work, that should have been paid already. Insurance companies often say, “We’ll pay that when it’s time to settle,” but the reality is, that’s not what the law is in Illinois. TTD payments and medical payments are due ASAP, not when the insurance company feels like it. Unfortunately, insurance companies are doing this more and more in an attempt to squeeze workers as much as possible. The good news is that this is an easily problem to solve.
As for the settlement, insurance companies don’t just give money away and there is no law that punishes them for not offering a settlement, unlike when they don’t pay lost time or medical bills. We can force a settlement by filing a trial motion or actually going to trial. But with changes to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, you’ll find that if you don’t have an attorney that they won’t offer anything or if they do it won’t be very much because they can get away with that. I don’t say this to scare anyone in to hiring a lawyer. Like everything else that I write on this blog, it’s the truth.
Big picture is to not freak out, but instead make informed decisions. Almost every problem that comes up in work comp is solvable. You just need to know what the answers are.
We are workers’ compensation attorneys who 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.
