If there is one thing true about Illinois work comp cases, it is that the insurance company will do whatever they can to deny, delay or reduce your claim. These are billion dollar companies that do not make money by doing the right thing. They do it by limiting what they pay out in cases and in some cases trying to get away with paying nothing at all.

First off, we have helped tens of thousands of people whose cases have been wrongly denied or delayed. Sometimes it’s the whole case. Other times it’s missing TTD checks or a failure to approve medical treatment like a MRI or physical therapy. If you want to talk to an experienced work injury lawyer for free, please call us at 312-346-5578 for help anywhere in Illinois via our state wide network.

While often the insurance company will actively harm you without reason, other times they are doing behind the scenes investigations to come up with reason to deny your case that will hold up in court. It is these type of investigations you need to be aware of and look out for so you don’t lose your work comp rights.

What Do Insurance Companies Do To Fight Illinois Workers’ Compensation Claims?

The biggest your injury, the more likely they are to take steps to fight you. But with most people being online, note that their investigation of you will likely start on day one. This includes:

  • A simple Google search to see what they can find out about you. Some of their investigators are really good at this even if you have a generic name. Most if not all of what they come up will be irrelevant.
  • Searching your social media. This is where you need to be careful. NEVER post about your accident or case. I mean never. Make sure all of your accounts are private. Do not accept friend requests or follows from someone you do not know. The safest course of action is to not post at all about anything. Even a picture of you holding your kid could be used against you.
  • Background checks to see if you are working any other jobs while getting work comp. Don’t do this without talking to a lawyer first as it could be a felony.
  • Conducting surveillance on you. They are hoping to catch you doing something that violates your doctor given restrictions. Often it gets misinterpreted. That could be you feeling good one day and testing your body or it could be them thinking you are doing something you shouldn’t when it’s actually OK. Either way, especially with a big injury, you should assume you are being followed and filmed.
  • Talking to co-workers, friends and neighbors. Some surveillance can go as far as them trying to invade your personal life. A “friend” might turn on you, especially if you are talking too much about your case or what you are going to get. NEVER talk about a possible settlement with anyone. It doesn’t help your case and can only hurt you.

What they can’t do is track your phone or car, hack into your accounts or do something like pretend they are a cop as a means for talking to you. They also can not directly talk to your doctor other than to request copies of bills or records, but they do that quite often any way. They can’t come into your house or break into your car. They have to follow the law.

A good lawyer will protect you from these shenanigans and make sure you are aware of things to look out for. That won’t stop them for trying to screw you over, but it will give you a better chance at getting a good result.

Bonus tip!

You should follow these rules even after you’ve agreed to a settlement. In extreme cases they will try to catch you off guard at those times. Until the contracts have been signed and approved, you are at risk.