“Why Would A Case Manager Say My Work Comp File Is Closed?”

Via our new online chat system, a reader asked:

“Why Would A Case Manager Say My Work Comp File Is Closed?”

Can you imagine?   You have an accepted Illinois work injury case and one day you call the adjuster or get a letter from them (they never call you, that would take guts) and they tell you that your case has been closed.

This is a lazy insurance trick that must work sometimes because they keep doing it.  They hope by telling you that your case is closed they can get away without paying you any more benefits or a settlement.

The good news is that they aren’t a Judge so they can’t do this.  If it hasn’t been more than three years since your accident date or two years since they last paid you or a medical bill on your case, the time limits (statute of limitations) for bringing a case haven’t passed.

So by formally filing the case via an application for adjustment of claim with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, your case will automatically be “re-opened” not that it was ever really closed in the first place.

Bottom line is that this is just a scare tactic or settlement tactic by which the insurance company hopes to spend less than what they are legally obligated to on your case.  Insurance companies make billions with tactics like these.  The bad news is that when it works they are essentially stealing from injured workers.  The good news is that it’s an easy problem to solve.