I got a call the other day from a really funny injured worker who was hesitant to get a lawyer involved. I asked him why he called after having been dealing with it on his own for the prior months, and he said:
“Travelers Insurance is driving me crazy!”
I laughed out loud. He had what should be a very straightforward Illinois work comp case, but they were nagging him about everything. They called before and after doctor’s appointments. They said they didn’t get copies of off-work slips or that they couldn’t read them. They asked for a recorded statement which he gave (bad idea) and then asked for another one apparently.
This isn’t an issue unique to Travelers of course. We see it with The Hartford, Zurich Insurance, Gallagher Bassett and all of the other ones. They are not in this to help you get better or make the process easy for you. Insurance companies make billions a year because they limit what they pay on good cases if they don’t just outright deny them for no reason.
Among many others, this is a top reason why getting an attorney makes so much sense for most injured workers. An experienced work comp lawyer knows how to deal with these insurance companies. It allows you to focus on your health and recovery. That doesn’t mean an insurance company will do things right just because we are on the case. But they know that we won’t allow them to get away with nonsense. They also know that we can file motions in court that can hold them accountable when they act badly. This can include petitions for penalties and fees.
Travelers didn’t get to be one of the biggest work comp insurance companies in the world (they might be the biggest) by paying out every claim they are supposed to. They didn’t get there by being buddies with every injured worker or making sure workers get healthy above all else. Same goes for all of these other insurance companies. Their job is to limit what they pay out on claims so they can make money. Period.
A good Illinois work comp firm can make sure you get the most out of a case. That doesn’t just mean getting you the most money possible for a settlement. It also means making sure the case goes smoothly in the months or years before your case is ready to settle. Our number one focus is your health. We want to make sure you get better and get all of the treatment you need in a timely manner. We also want to make sure that you get paid for your time off of work due to the injury. And again, we want to make sure that happens in a timely manner.
And when you are all better and your case issues have resolved, we of course do whatever we can to make sure that you get the best settlement possible. This includes payment for future medical care if needed. So the bottom line is you end up with more money in your pocket, the best medical outcome and way less stress. If Travelers or any other insurance company is going to drive someone crazy, it will be us, not you.
If you’d like a free consultation with an attorney for help anywhere in Illinois, please call us at 312-346-5578.
