Over the weekend it was reported that the Tyson Foods plant in Joslin, Illinois would be closing. With it comes the loss of around 2,500 jobs at the plant which has been operational for over 40 years. Allegedly they are doing it due to cattle shortages across the country.

These jobs were, at times, dangerous and led to a lot of work related injuries. We have helped dozens of injured workers at this facility over the last 25+ years. These workers see just about every injury you can imagine with back injuries being the most common along with a lot of repetitive trauma injuries to the arms, shoulders, and wrists.

What Happens To The Workers’ Compensation Claims Of Injured Tyson Workers?

Since the plant closure announcement, we have already received calls from concerned injured workers who are wondering what will happen to their case and how the closure affects things. Here is what you need to know and this applies to not just Tyson, but any plant that closes down.

  1. Your case is still active. You can and should continue to receive medical care at their expense.
  2. You also should continue to receive TTD benefits if your injury has you off of work.
  3. If you have restrictions from a work injury that they were accommodating, the day that they close down, they should put you back on TTD benefits until you have no restrictions.
  4. If your restrictions end up being permanent, that could greatly increase the value of your case. Them not having a job for you any more will make your case worth much more money.
  5. No matter the case, you are entitled to a settlement when you are all better.

Another thing to know is that when these shut downs happen, the company and their third party company that they use to process these cases, want to close all claims ASAP. You need not feel pressured to do so and should never settle before you are ready. And when it does come time to settle, a good lawyer can usually get you maximum dollars because of the extra incentive they have to be done with these cases. Let their greed work to your benefit.

You also do not get punished because there are not as many high wage jobs in the area. So if you have restrictions and suddenly have a $15 an hour wage loss compared to what you’d currently make at Tyson, a case that would have been worth $50,000 could suddenly be worth $300,0000 or some other large number depending on your age and other case factors.

So while it is certainly stressful and a bit gross that they are closing, I do want any injured worker from Tyson to know that their case will not be harmed.

Bonus tip. If you have hesitated to bring a work comp case in the past even though you are injured, you absolutely must do it now if you ever want to go that route. Trying to bring a case months after the closure or your last day worked will be very difficult and could cause a winning case to be a loser.

We are here to help if you want that help. Call us any time at 312-346-5578 for a free consultation with an attorney who knows how to handle Tyson claims.