Workers Compensation Lawyer in Chicago, Illinois Work Injury Attorney

Not sure what it is about September, but we've received a call similar to this question three times in recent days.  There is not a crystal clear answer, but most likely there is a case.

In an odd ruling, a Court in Illinois years ago said that one factor in deciding if this is a compensable case or not is whether or not you work in a dangerous location.  In other words, if you work in a high crime neighborhood it would certainly be a case. If you work in a nice boutique in the Gold Coast it might not be a case.  To prove this we often cite crime statistics or get a police officer to testify.

The reason for this (in our opinion it's silly) law is that you have to show something about your job led to the robbery occurring.  Being in a high crime location could be one reason.  Another reason could be that it's your job to handle money and you were the one robbed.  On the other hand, if you work in a shoe store in a nice neighborhood and just see it happen then it's probably not a case.

Even if you are in a high crime area or have a gun pointed at your head, you still need to show an injury.  Sometimes robbers will beat you up.  Sometimes having a gun pointed at you or the bad experience itself will cause a psychological injury that requires counseling.  If you get counseling or need medical treatment that will show the injury you sustained.  Be warned though that all of your counseling records can be viewed by the insurance company and attorney for the employer.

Finally, two callers have asked if they could sue because no security was provided.  Illinois employers do not have an obligation to provide security, but often do.  They don't usually do this for the employees, they do it to protect their financial investment in the store, bank, etc.

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.

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We are happy to answer any questions that people have about Illinois injury cases.  Three questions we get asked a lot are what are the abbreviations FCE, IME and MMI?

FCE- Stands for functional capacity evaluation.  Basically it's a test that has you perform a series of activities throughout the day to determine if you need any physical restrictions before returning to your job or what capacity you can work in.  It's an objective test that measures not just ability, but also effort.  If you are found to have used a bad effort it can hurt your case.

IME- Stands for independent medical examination.  This is the insurance company's right to send you to a doctor of their choosing to see if you are really hurt, what your diagnosis is, whether or not your problem is work related, what treatment is needed or anything else that they want to ask.  It's usually a one time visit.  Many of these doctors are hired guns or almost always favor the employer.  Some are truly independent.

MMI- This means maximum medical improvement or as good as you are going to get medically speaking.  We don't consider settling a case until a client is at MMI because once you settle you can not get any more medical treatment at your employer's expense.  Sometimes you are at MMI, but still need ongoing physical therapy or a yearly exam.  Your doctor determines when MMI has taken place.

If you have questions about any of these terms just let us know.

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.

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It is not unusual for someone to have a bad back, sore arm, stiff knee, etc.  Especially as you get older the acts of daily living can wear your body down.  Many people also have problems due to past injuries.  We have represented a lot of clients who in the past have had non-work related back surgery, rotator cuff surgery, carpal tunnel and knee injuries.  These clients came to us when something about their job caused these pre-existing problems to flare up.

Under Illinois workers' compensation law, a pre-existing condition does not bar you from receiving benefits.  If your job aggravates or accelerates a pre-existing condition you should receive Illinois work injury benefits. 

In other words, your employer takes you as they find you.  If you had back surgery last year from a fall at home and then start a new job where you do some lifting and re-injure your back, the pre-existing condition should not reduce any rights that you have under the law.

Similarly, if you tore your ACL years ago and then twist the same knee when you slip on the floor at work, that is  a new case.

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