One thing I like to do is look for trends in Illinois work comp cases because when you see the same bad thing happening multiple times, you can advise others to look out for those potential land mines.
By far the biggest issue I’ve noticed of late is insurance companies are trying to dictate where you receive your medical care. That should not happen. You have the right to choose your own, independent, doctor so you can have a medical provider who is truly looking out for you.
A typical call I get of late is from a truck driver who fell out of his truck and hurt his back. He gets x-rays which are normal (because x-rays usually can’t show a disc problem) so he gets some pain relievers and maybe some physical therapy. So far, so good.
After a few weeks, the back pain is worse, the meds and therapy aren’t helping and now the pain isn’t just in his back, but shooting down his leg. I’m no doctor, but this is a class sign of a herniated disc. Any reasonable physician would order a MRI.
Problem is that if these doctors who are hand picked by the company or insurance adjuster order an expensive test like a MRI, they’ll eventually stop getting their business. So instead of worrying about what’s best for the injured worker, they err on the side of keeping their job by keeping costs down.
By the time the truck driver gets to us they are in tremendous pain. Usually we can solve this problem by educating them on their right to seek out their own opinion, but it shouldn’t have to come to that.
You can’t expect the insurance company to tell you your legal rights under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act. Their job is to look out for themselves and their bottom line, not for you. Even when they seem to be nice to you, even when all of your bills are getting paid, you can bet that there are certain rights they aren’t letting you know about. Whether it’s not having to give a recorded statement or not having to let a nurse case manager talk to your doctor, they aren’t going to inform you.
Calling our office doesn’t mean you are hiring us. Of course we want to represent you if you have a good case and there is no fee if we don’t make a recovery for you at the end of the case. But we also consider it a win when injured workers know their rights and don’t get taken advantage of. Fill out our form to the right or call us at (312) 346-5578 any time if you’d like our help. We cover all of Illinois.