The worst thing a lawyer can do is look out for their own interests over that of a client. If an attorney ever settles a case because they need the money or don’t want to do the work needed to get a better result, it’s gross. I recently heard from a caller who hired an … Continue Reading
For some unfortunate Illinois workers, they not only end up with an injury, but also with a serious long term problem that they had never previously heard of. This is true for people who have complex regional pain syndrome or CRPS. In these cases, the pain is out of proportion to the severity of the … Continue Reading
I have been an Illinois workers’ compensation attorney since 1997. I started off my career as an insurance defense lawyer (yuck!) which was great training for not only being a lawyer, but learning how to properly represent injured workers. It helps to learn how insurance companies think, strategies they use, etc. One of the first … Continue Reading
Plexiglass dividers, hand sanitizer stations, contactless payment methods, hospital-grade disinfectants, and the list goes on. Despite the precautions companies have taken to protect their employees from contracting COVID-19, and despite employees’ best efforts to be safe and COVID-free, some employees will contract the coronavirus at work. Depending on a person’s job, an employee can get … Continue Reading
Although it gets celebrated at times by our society, I find it sad when someone is working a job when they are in their golden years. It’s one thing if you love working. It’s completely different if you are in your 70’s or 80’s (or older) and working because you have to. Typically workers of … Continue Reading
One common, but often bogus defense presented by insurance companies in Illinois work injury cases is that the injured worker had a pre-existing condition. You’ve probably read some posts on my blog that discuss this, but it’s not unusual for them to allege some dormant injury from a 10+ year old accident is the real … Continue Reading
I love reading Illinois work comp case law updates. Sometimes the law changes. Sometimes a new case clarifies how existing law should be applied. The other day I read two cases back to back that were similar, but slightly different because one of them involved a teacher. In the first case, a General Mills worker … Continue Reading
Under Illinois workers’ compensation law, you can not bring a claim for general job-related stress. Having a boss that is rude, working long hours, feeling overwhelmed by all of the work they are making you do? Unfortunately, those scenarios are not enough to bring a successful work comp claim. Illinois law on this issue is … Continue Reading
Illinois workers’ compensation insurance companies love to deny cases. They especially like to fight repetitive trauma claims without good reason. This is true because if you get hit by a forklift and break your leg, they can’t say it was due to a pre-existing condition (not that they wouldn’t try to find a reason to … Continue Reading
One of the fall-outs of Covid has been the rising hospitalizations of patients causing non-Covid patients to have a delay in some treatments. In one case we were consulted on, a person who needed a relatively routine meniscus surgery, couldn’t get one scheduled for five months. That’s a really long time to have to walk … Continue Reading
I recently had a phone call from a suburban police officer who was injured when she was hit by a car on the job. She has two potential claims. The first is obviously a workers’ compensation case. The second is a lawsuit against the driver that caused the accident which resulted in a severe head … Continue Reading
A reader of our blog was injured on the job over a year ago. She sustained a knee injury and shoulder injury and since day one, all of her medical bills related to the case have been paid as has all of her time off of work. Now a year later she got a letter … Continue Reading
I had a really upsetting call recently. A really nice paramedic sustained a very bad concussion after falling on ice at work. There is no dispute that he was injured on the job and while performing his job duties. He went to the hospital right away and was taken off works for two weeks. He … Continue Reading
Recently an injured Illinois worker contacted me and said that after being on the case for two years, he got a letter from his lawyer saying he will not handle the case anymore. It’s a case that needs to be taken to trial and this lawyer doesn’t want to do it. My initial instinct was … Continue Reading
Under something called the exclusive remedy provision, workers in Illinois are not generally allowed to sue their employer for injuries sustained while working. It doesn’t matter if your employer was negligent or not. You are able to receive workers’ compensation benefits, but a lawsuit for negligence or even recklessness will likely get thrown out. This … Continue Reading
One of the most important things for any injured Illinois worker to know is that insurance companies are nothing but businesses trying to maximize profits. In many ways this can hurt you as they will look for reasons to deny your case or cut off benefits and in many cases they will illegally not pay … Continue Reading
I’ve written a lot about lazy Illinois work comp attorneys, but there are also some work comp insurance adjusters who really are slackers. It’s often a low paying and not very rewarding job. I’ve spoken to many over the years that really just wish to be doing something else. The turnover rate at a lot … Continue Reading
I’ve had a big interest in carpal tunnel cases during my legal career. My first trial involved a carpal tunnel claim. And these cases in general can be interesting because they are often fought by the insurance company but usually winnable. Here are 20 facts, in no particular order, about Illinois work comp carpal tunnel … Continue Reading
We have been helping injured workers in Illinois since 1997. If you would like to speak with a lawyer for free, please call us at 312-346-5320. We cover all of Illinois. One of the first things I was taught about Illinois workers’ compensation law is that “employers take you as they find you.” In other … Continue Reading
If there is one thing I wish every injured Illinois worker would know, it’s that insurance companies will play games. One way or another, they are looking for a way to minimize what they pay you, even when it seems like they are doing everything right. A common tactic is to not actually deny care, … Continue Reading
Man, just when you think you’ve heard it all, you hear about some terrible lawyering that just makes your jaw drop. Before we get to that, let’s discuss why you would hire a work comp attorney. The biggest reason is to protect yourself. An experienced law firm has been involved in thousands of cases and … Continue Reading
When it comes to working with an Illinois workers compensation attorney, there isn’t a worse feeling than realizing that the lawyer you hired isn’t fighting for you. You hired them in the first place to be your advocate and look out for your best interests. If they aren’t doing that, then what are they there … Continue Reading
The first thing I tell any injured worker who is looking for tips on how to win their case is to be honest. That doesn’t mean to overshare information (e.g. don’t give a recorded statement). But it does mean tell the truth whether it’s telling a doctor how you got hurt or not making your … Continue Reading
It’s not unusual for people as they get older to have trouble with their knees. Many people are able to manage their pain with over-the-counter pain medication like Advil. For others, however, a partial or total knee replacement may be the only solution. Many people wrongly assume that knee replacement surgery and rehab cannot be … Continue Reading
The worst thing a lawyer can do is look out for their own interests over that of a client. If an attorney ever settles a case because they need the money or don’t want to do the work needed to get a better result, it’s gross. I recently heard from a caller who hired an … Continue Reading
