How much do you weigh?

When I was young, I was taught never to ask a woman how old she is or how much do you weigh.  I teach those lessons to my children now.  But while I’m working, I ask those types of questions all of the time.
 
I’m not trying to be rude, but rather it’s very relevant for properly analyzing a workers’ compensation and figuring out if it’s compensable and how much it might be worth.
 
If you are diagnosed with carpal tunnel syndrome, we wouldn’t be doing our job if we didn’t ask you how much you weigh.  Obesity is a knows cause of carpal tunnel. That doesn’t mean if you are overweight that you have no case, but it does mean that we are trying to be prepared for any possible defenses that we might have to fight.  Any good work comp lawyer would also ask you if you are diabetic or pregnant as those are two known risk factors as well.  You could have all three of these issues and still win your case.  But most cases aren’t perfect and have some possible defense.  Your attorney needs to be prepared to respond to those defenses.  If the first time they learn that you are diabetic is when you are on the witness stand then they haven’t done their job.
 
Knowing your age is important too.  First off, we can’t formally file a claim without listing your date of birth.  That’s a requirement for the Application for Adjustment of Claim that must be filed with the State of Illinois.  Beyond that, knowing how old you are plays a role in determining what your case is worth, especially if you are not going to be able to return to your old job and have a loss of future wages as a result.  Knowing your age allows to get a proper range of what your case may be worth.
 
To be fair, I’ve never heard someone respond that they were offended by these questions.  Of course, I ask the weight question in a delicate, polite way and explain why I am asking.  So hopefully my grandmother, who taught me the importance of being polite and NEVER asking a woman her weight or age, is proud of me still, knowing that I have a good reason for asking.
 
For you as a client, you should be nervous if your attorney isn’t asking questions about you.  They should get to know you and your case, otherwise how are they going to have a full picture of what you are going through and be able to best represent you?