If you’re injured at work, your employer’s insurance company will probably be involved. Most employers carry workers’ compensation insurance, so that when an employee is injured and entitled to benefits, it’s the insurer who pays out those benefits.
The insurance company might contact you. It can seem routine and fairly innocent, when in fact it’s a critical moment that could make or break your case.
If the insurance company asks you to give a recorded statement, you should decline. Just say no. Don’t let them bully you into it, either. They want a recorded statement for one main reason, which is to use it against you. They want you to say something that they can use to deny your claim and refuse to pay you benefits.
How could it hurt your case? You might say something that brings into question whether your injury was work related (a requirement to qualify for benefits) or related to something outside of your job. This is just one example of a way that you could inadvertently hurt your case. It’s exactly what the insurance company is hoping you will do.
The best way to prevent this is to get a lawyer who will handle all contact from the insurance company. There are no hourly fees or upfront costs when hiring a workers’ compensation lawyer in Illinois. If they win a bunch of money for you, they get paid from that, at the end of your case. Otherwise, they walk you through your claim and help you avoid pitfalls, such as talking to the insurance adjuster. The insurance company might not stop at trying to get a statement. They might use surveillance to try and catch you doing something you shouldn’t be doing considering your injury. They might try and come to your doctor appointments or talk to your doctor and try to influence your course of treatment.
The insurance company presents itself as helpful and on your side. It’s not the reality of the situation. Their interest is to spend as little money as possible on you. You, on the other hand, should be interested in getting all of the benefits that the law says you get. Your priorities are regaining full health and avoiding debt.
