I tell people never to take legal advice from a non-attorney, so please don’t take this post as medical advice as I’m not a doctor.
That said, I’ve seen many cases of plantar fasciitis and had scores of people contact me for help with that injury. It’s different than lifting a box at work and hearing a pop in your back. And by different, I mean it’s not as straight forward in terms of proving your problem is work related and that you are entitled to benefits.
Plantar fasciitis causes pain in the bottom of the heel. The plantar fascia is a thin ligament that connects your heel to the front of your foot. It supports the arch in your foot and is important in helping you walk. Problems in this part of your foot often come from the general wear and tear of daily living. So in order to prevail in an Illinois work comp claim, you have to show that your job duties caused, aggravated or accelerated your condition.
Sometimes this is easier said than done. If you are overweight, you are risk for this injury. Same is true if you are in great shape, but run a lot.
But another group of people that are at risk of getting PF (can we agree to call it that) are active workers who are on their feet all day such as laborers or restaurant workers.
To win your case, you have to show that your work activity is beyond normal. So if you stand at a cash register all day and get PF, there is nothing about the act of standing that is considered abnormal. On the other hand, if you are walking around all day, especially if it’s on hard or uneven surfaces or if you are wearing unusual footwear such as steel toed boots, then your job likely puts you at an increased risk of getting injured and your chances of winning a claim are strong.
If you start to have foot or heel pain and you think it could be due to your job, you should immediately seek medical attention AND be sure to give your physician a detailed description of your job duties. Don’t say “I’m on my feet a lot.” Do say, assuming it’s true, “I am on my feet all day while moving heavy materials. I brought a pedometer in to work the other day and discovered I walked seven miles during my eight hour shift.” That second sentence paints a clearer picture for the doctor as well as the insurance company. Again, it’s incredibly important to be truthful, but at the same time you have an obligation to yourself to determine what some of the facts are.
We created our statewide network of experienced work comp lawyers for cases like PF problems. If your attorney doesn’t have experience with these claims you are at great risk of losing. We can’t promise you a result, but we do promise that whoever we recommend to help you, it won’t be their first rodeo with PF so to speak.
