If you are on this page, you will likely see a pop up for a live chat option. These chats are almost always handled by an attorney, even after hours. I love it because people have all of the time they want to say what they want and people feel less intimidated by the process for some reason. You can start a live chat right now or call us if you prefer at 312-346-5578.

One recent chat was enlightening on how any injured workers feel. Most of you just want to be healthy and working. You don’t want to be taken advantage of and trust that other people are honest and good.

In this chat, the worker said to me:

I think I might need a work comp lawyer, but I’m giving the adjuster the benefit of the doubt.

As the chat went on, I learned that she hurt herself when a coworker ran a forklift into her, causing a back injury. She was diagnosed with a back strain and sciatica. She had been on this job for more than a decade and does a ton of heavy lifting.

She’s been off work for over a month and has not received any compensation for her time off of work. The adjuster said that they have not received any of the medical records. She actually faxed them herself and provided them to her employer. Someone at her work told her that because she saw a resident doctor it is unlikely that the notes taking her off work will be accepted. In the mean time, she is worried about missing her rent payment and being able to pay her bills.

There are so many lies and problems here, I don’t even know where to begin. Let’s unpack them:

  • A resident at a hospital or medical practice is a doctor. Would I have them do my surgery? It wouldn’t be my first choice. Can they take you off of work? Absolutely. It happens all of the time. To imply their opinions are not valid is a joke.
  • The insurance adjuster has her off work slip that says off work due to a work related injury. It is signed by a medical doctor. Nobody is disputing that she got hit by a forklift. There is literally no basis for not paying this worker or her medical bills.
  • If the insurance company wanted to fight this case, they would have to send her to a doctor of their choosing to have them say she is fine or was hurt another way. Or they would need evidence that this isn’t work related. They have none of that.
  • Even if somehow you want to say that her back problems are not from getting hit by a forklift, which would be nuts to say, she has been doing heavy lifting for over ten years! Do you think that might be why she has sciatica?

The insurance company is breaking the law. The adjuster told her she hoped to have an answer within a week. That is all just made up nonsense. Their goal is to get you to go away without it costing them. Plenty of people ignore doctor’s orders and risk their health by working when hurt. It should not happen that way and does not need to happen.

The good news is that this problem can be solved relatively quickly. In fact, an emergency motion can be filed and the insurance company could be hit with penalties due to the unreasonable delay. The bad news of course is that it has happened at all.

I can promise you that even if they are “good” people in their out of work life, the insurance adjuster is not looking out for what is best for you. In fact, many of them get bonuses for how many cases they can successfully shut down. Do not ever give them the benefit of the doubt. They are not in your corner.