Taking shortcuts and exposing yourself to unnecessary dangers can ruin your chances in an Illinois worker’s compensation case. Especially if your injury is a direct result of your short cut or self-imposed risk.
Take for instance the case of Dodson v. Industrial Commission. In this case, an employee was injured while walking to her car, after she had clocked out of work for the evening. While the court determined she was to be considered within the course of her employment, it denied her injury claim.
That night she clocked out, it was dark and raining. The employee did not remain on the normal path to her car, and instead took a short cut, which was wet and icy. This is where she fell and got injured. The court said that the injury was a result of a fall due to a decision she made out of convenience and not of necessity.
This is similar to another case from 1944 in which the court noted the freedom of choice as well. Each employee has a choice of doing things “by the book” or maybe taking a more dangerous path or route. If the employee decides to take a shortcut and puts themselves in danger, there is a very good chance the employees claim for workers compensation will be denied.
Every case of course is different. Some risks are foreseeable and reasonable and in those cases if you get hurt you still could win a claim for Illinois work comp benefits. So the bottom line is don’t not pursue a case because you don’t think you will win. Call us and we will evaluate your case for free and see if there is any way you can win or not. We are very direct and honest and will help you figure out if it’s worth pursing or not.
