A reader asks:

I’ve been on comp for a while and want to move out of Illinois for a couple reasons. First, I’m not happy with my doctors. Second, I have some family issues to take care of in the state I want to move to. Will it hurt my case if I leave Illinois?

The answer is it depends.

If your biggest concern is your case you need to ask the following questions:

1. Are you getting TTD benefits right now? If you are any have any restrictions, you risk that a phony job will be created once you move and if that happens your TTD will get cut off.

2. Are your restrictions going to be permanent and will that require you to take a job making less money? If so then you might risk your ability to get a wage differential settlement if the State you are moving to has a labor market that is worse than Illinois.

3. Are you on your second choice of doctors?  If so, and even if not, when you do move you should get a referral for a new doctor to take over your case.  If you exceed your second choice of doctors there is a good chance the insurance company won’t have to pay for any more medical treatment for you.

4. Is there a chance there will be another IME? Even if you’ve already had one, they can schedule another.  When you move out of state, the insurance company doesn’t have pay you to travel back to Illinois for an IME.  So if you can’t get yourself back here and miss the appointment, your benefits will be cut off.

5. Are you taking a new job? If your injury gets worse in that new job it can blow up your Illinois case.

The bottom line is that there are risks to both your medical, TTD and settlement.  There is no guarantee that it will, but it’s smart to have a consultation with an attorney who knows what they are talking about before you make any decision that could hurt your case.  This isn’t to say family needs or other issues aren’t important, but you need to make a fully educated decision and then make a decision where you can live with the consequences.

As always, if you want to discuss moving out of Illinois or any other issue, please do not hesitate to contact us.