A caller to my office had a pretty unique situation. She fell down the stairs at home and broke her leg.
What was unique about her situation was that she had brought some large presentation materials home with her as she was going to be giving a speech at a conference the next day. Instead of going in to the office the next morning she was leaving directly from her house.
When moving the materials, which were quite large, she tripped, causing the fall to happen.
This is a compensable case under Illinois workers’ compensation law and common sense shows that is the right result. She was injured while doing an activity for the direct benefit of her employer. It’s reasonable that she would take the materials home with her and foreseeable that she would need to move them. That’s the standard she needs to meet in order to win benefits.
Now the insurance company, of course, doesn’t always follow the law and in this case they told her that there is never a time when you can be hurt at home and receive Illinois work comp benefits.
But don’t listen to them. They aren’t looking out for you and it’s standard practice for them to tell you that you don’t have a case. They are hoping to frustrate you and send you on your way.
The reality is though that not every Illinois work injury is standard or straight forward. Some are unusual. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have rights.
If you have questions about what happened to you or anything related to IL work injury law, you are welcome to call us any time at (312) 346-5578. It’s always free and confidential.
