They say that the only two sure things in life are death and taxes. Well I’m here to tell you that there is a third sure thing. If the insurance company can think of a way to cut off your benefits they will try it. This latest effort over the last few years is a … Continue Reading
I had the pleasure recently of talking to a really nice guy who appreciated my direct and blunt approach. Not everybody does. He was a smart guy who investigated a little bit after his attorney told him something that didn’t make sense. The average weekly wage they were using to calculate his benefits was too … Continue Reading
We are experienced Chicago attorneys for workers’ compensation claims. If you would like our help, fill out our contact form or call us at 312-346-5578. It’s very common that insurance companies deny all or part of your Illinois workers’ compensation benefits in bad faith . It’s also somewhat common that attorneys file a motion for … Continue Reading
Many Illinois work comp cases are denied without reason. They will say you have a pre-existing condition or that you were hurt away from the job. One of the hardest cases for an insurance company to deny is a burn injury. The reason it’s hard for them to deny these cases is that a burn … Continue Reading
Here is a fairly common scenario: You are at work and lift something. You feel a pain in your back like you’ve never felt before. You report it immediately to your supervisor and try to treat the problem with rest and pain pills. Five days later it’s not better, it’s getting worse and you go … Continue Reading
The cleanest type of Illinois workers compensation case is when you are hurt in a clearly defined job activity, it’s witnessed, you don’t have drugs in your system, you get medical treatment right away, and you follow what your doctor recommends. Not to say that type of scenario can’t result in a contested case (most … Continue Reading
Sunday night the John Oliver show had a feature on WWE wrestlers and how the company screws them over by calling them independent contractors and making them sign contracts that say they are not employees. I chuckled watching this, not just because the show was funny, but because we’ve seen many other companies try to … Continue Reading
A reader of my blog was getting toward the end of his treatment. The insurance company tried to low ball settle with him and he refused. Then the insurance company told him, because he has permanent restrictions that can’t be accommodated by his old employer, that they wanted him to do vocational rehabilitation. Briefly, under … Continue Reading
Most Illinois work injuries happen to your back, arm, hands, legs, feet, head or neck. But not every work accident fits nicely into a traditional box and just because it’s not typical, does not mean it’s not a case. Under Illinois law, any injury that develops from a work related injury, is also a part … Continue Reading
When you are hurt on the job in Illinois and hire an attorney, every lawyer uses the same attorney representation agreement. Here is what it looks like. Under Illinois law, attorney fees can not exceed 20% of what is recovered and for almost every case that means 20% of the eventual settlement they get you … Continue Reading
One thing I vowed to do when I opened up my own firm in 2001, is to give clients and potential clients the type of customer service I like to get. That means a few things: 1. Talk in plain English. 2. Don’t act like a phony. 3. Be very direct and honest. 4. Don’t … Continue Reading
A caller to my office had a really good question about a very frustrating scenario he was in. He is an industrial painter and does a lot of overhead lifting and work in general. One day, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder while bringing down some items from a scaffold. This was witnessed, … Continue Reading
Illinois work comp law is pretty worker friendly, but not every injury that happens while you are working is a case. For example, if you are walking down the hallway and your leg buckles for no reason or if you faint, it’s typically not a claim because nothing about the job increased your risk of … Continue Reading
We are Chicago based workers’ compensation attorneys who help with job injury cases all over. If you have any questions, fill out our contact form, call us or click on the chat button. We will always talk to you for free and do whatever we can to help you. We talk to people in plain … Continue Reading
Employers in Illinois are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance if they have one or more employees. It’s a felony not to do so. The only exception to this is if you work for yourself or are the owner of a company. In those cases you can opt out and don’t have to cover yourself. … Continue Reading
One of the great things about Illinois workers’ compensation law is that it’s a no fault law. That means you don’t need to prove that your employer was negligent to win your case. So if your back went out on you because you used bad form when lifting or if you new the floor was … Continue Reading
Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, the insurance company for your employer has to pay for all “reasonable and related” medical care as a result of your injury. So if you lift a box at work and feel a pop in your back, it’s reasonable for you to go to the doctor, get physical therapy, … Continue Reading
I pride myself in being an attorney who is direct, honest and speaks in plain English. If someone asks me a question and I know the answer, I don’t tiptoe around it if it’s something they don’t want to hear. I’m also willing to tell you that your lawyer sucks if they suck, and of … Continue Reading
I love questions from anyone. I do believe there are no dumb questions, and when you ask me something I think should be obvious, that just tells me we need to do a better job of explaining things. A really good question I got recently was from someone who wanted to know what the odds … Continue Reading
An injured worker in Chicago called me with a very generic question. She asked what laws do I need to know. I told her it was too vague because what I’d recommend for her would be based on her case facts. She doesn’t need to worry about TTD benefits for example if she’s not missing … Continue Reading
A caller to my office told me that he was hurt at work and receiving benefits for a knee injury. His doctor wants to do surgery, but before the insurance company would approve it, they want him to see an IME (independent medical examination) doctor. He’s heard stories about how many of these physicians are … Continue Reading
Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s unethical (and gross) for an attorney to be in a romantic relationship with a client. But that doesn’t mean your lawyer shouldn’t give you love. By “give you love” I mean your attorney should care about you. How can they do that? Do they return your phone calls? Are they talking … Continue Reading
Another snowy and wet winter in Chicago. That means a lot of slip and falls. In general the law in Illinois has been that if you are working and on your employer’s premises when you fall, you have a case. On the other hand, if you are in a place where you work, but it’s … Continue Reading
A reader of my blog got in touch and asked a really good question: “My case isn’t going very well. What should I do?” Now as you can imagine, we had a longer conversation because I needed to know specifics, but the fact that this worker even asked at all is a good sign. Too … Continue Reading
They say that the only two sure things in life are death and taxes. Well I’m here to tell you that there is a third sure thing. If the insurance company can think of a way to cut off your benefits they will try it. This latest effort over the last few years is a … Continue Reading
