I’ve written a lot about lazy Illinois work comp attorneys, but there are also some work comp insurance adjusters who really are slackers.  It’s often a low paying and not very rewarding job. I’ve spoken to many over the years that really just wish to be doing something else. The turnover rate at a lot of these companies is really high.

Of course that shouldn’t be your problem. But it can be if you aren’t careful.  Take for example what happened to an injured worker who recently contacted us:

I got hurt at work an I have a neck injury I have been trying to get treated I was referred to a physical therapist but have had 3 appointments canceled because they can’t get hold of my adjuster.

The longer the problem goes untreated, the greater the chance that the injury can get worse. In some cases, it’s possible to end up needing surgery because the initial physical therapy was delayed.

In some cases it’s not laziness, but an actual strategy that some insurance companies deploy. If they don’t call you back or health care providers back, they are hoping you will get frustrated and try to use your own insurance or just give up.

Unfortunately not every medical provider understands that they don’t need the permission of the insurance company to provide treatment and others don’t care. So what do you do if this happens to you?

It’s a situation where if you don’t have an attorney you are likely do get screwed over.  Without the ability to file a court motion, there’s really no way to counter pressure the lazy or manipulative insurance adjuster.  But they can’t play games or ignore cases when a petition for immediate hearing under Section 19(b) of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act comes across their desk. At that point you will discover that they can be made attentive.

What typically happens in those situations is one of two things: 1. They send the case out to an attorney and we deal with them and solve the problem. 2. They suddenly take our calls and respond to emails because they don’t want the additional costs of hiring an attorney.  Typically they will make an excuse at that point, but roll over and start authorizing treatment.

In some ways it’s like dealing with children. They want to know what they can and can’t get away with. You have to be willing to let them know that you aren’t going to put up with nonsense. It’s almost dumb that you have to get an attorney when there should be no dispute to your case, but the reality is that it’s what you have to do to protect yourself.

As always, please contact us for free with any questions or to discuss your case. We can be reached at 888-705-1766. We cover all of Illinois.