“Your case is under review”

If you have questions or need help with a case, fill out our contact form to the right or call us at (312) 346-5578.  We help with workers’ compensation cases everywhere in Illinois.

Insurance companies make money by not paying out money.  Even when it’s painfully obvious that they are liable to do so.

Why do they do this?   Because if they can frustrate you by delaying payments, maybe you’ll go away.  That sounds ridiculous to even write, but it’s true.  If they can make three out of 10 people give up who otherwise would have had good claims, they save a ton of money.  If they can do that to 3,000 out of 10,000 you begin to realize how insurance companies make billions a year.

I thought of this recently when a really nice Chicago guy called me after herniating two discs in his back on the job.  He had no history of any back treatment.  He lifts boxes all day at work and was doing so without problems for more than half of his shift.  At one point he and a co-worker were lifting a heavy box together and the co-worker dropped it causing my caller to absorb all of the weight.  He immediately screamed after hearing a pop in his back.

All of this is caught on video and the post accident drug screen showed he was clean. In other words there is no possible defense to this case.  It’s the cleanest one I’ve seen in forever.

So what has the insurance company been saying to him for the last two months while he’s awaiting medical treatment????  “Your case is under review.”

That is insurance speak for “You don’t have a lawyer, so we’re going to see how we can jerk you around.”  It’s ruthless and cold, but the reality is this is how they operate.  The caller was able to get a MRI and some physical therapy, but treatment for epidural steroid injections, which would provide huge relief, have been denied so far while the case is “under review.”

This is just another term for “being investigated” or “we are waiting for more information” or any other lie.  It’s just a delay tactic with hopes that you’ll either treat yourself or go through your group insurance.

Don’t fall for these tricks.  The law in Illinois is that these “investigations” need to be resolved within two weeks.

We are happy to help if you just have questions or want to stop the nonsense.