When you get hurt on the job in Illinois and start collecting workers’ compensation benefits, it can feel like your life has been turned upside down. Suddenly you are injured and have to talk to some insurance adjuster. Now you are regularly seeing doctors and may have to undergo invasive tests or even have surgery.

A lot of injured workers want to know what they can and can’t do now that they are hurt. One worker who hurt his shoulder had a great question. He was scheduled for a MRI in a week, but plays guitar in a band and had a gig coming up. He wanted to know if he could still play or if he shouldn’t.

When it comes to fun, personal activities like this, the question as to whether or not you can or should do an activity mostly depends on what your doctor says. If your doctor says it’s fine, then do it. If they say you shouldn’t or you think it could make your injury worse, then don’t.

What you don’t want to do is give the insurance company a reason to think you are faking or an excuse to cut off your benefits. You should assume that they are always conducting surveillance on you – yes this regularly happens – and act accordingly. If you are acting honestly, you shouldn’t have problems.

In the case of the guitar player, he said that playing doesn’t bother his shoulder. He’s only recently hurt so it’s not likely there will be surveillance, but I advised against playing the show. The worry is that someone will take pictures or post videos on social media that get taken out of context. You don’t want to give the insurance company an excuse. They will cut you off the first moment they can, fairly or not.

Being on work comp shouldn’t make you a prisoner. A lot of injured workers will call and tell me they’ve had a vacation planned for six months and want to know if they can still take it. The answer is generally yes, unless it interferes with your medical care. If you are physical therapy three days a week and your doctor says missing it will cause a huge setback, then you shouldn’t go. On the other hand, if they can give you exercises to do on your trip, you should be fine.

The key with all of this is communication. You should talk to your attorney about outside activities that might put you at risk and you should communicate with your doctor if you feel you need approval to do something. You aren’t expected to be a hermit or do nothing enjoyable. Just apply common sense. You can’t go on a three month trek around Europe and expect to continue to get work comp benefits. You can likely play catch with your kid, but shouldn’t play tackle football.

Don’t do things that could make your injury worse. Don’t do things that if you were under surveillance would make you look like a liar. Don’t ignore what your doctor tells you. But do live your life as best you can. Go out to dinner or sporting events. Hang with friends. Live the best life you can.

Hopefully this blog post hasn’t made you more confused. If you have any questions or want help with a case, you can call us any time at 312-346-5578.