Do I have an Illinois workers compensation case? How to file for workmans comp in Chicago. Tips if injured on the job in Illinois. Speak to an attorney for free.
There is a general rule that you can’t sue your employer for negligence if you are injured on the job. That rule was what created the whole workers’ compensation system in Illinois way back when. As far as I know, that’s how it is in every state. The trade off is that you don’t have … Continue Reading
There’s a famous Illinois workers comp case where an employee from Illinois went to Hawaii on business. During that business trip they went on a bike ride through a volcano and were injured. Nothing about that bike ride was part of the job duties of this worker. It was purely a side trip and had … Continue Reading
One of the biggest reasons insurance companies deny Illinois workers’ compensation claims is by saying that your problem is “pre-existing.” If you hurt your back ten years ago and haven’t been to a doctor in five years, they’ll still say your back problems aren’t from lifting heavy boxes all day at work. The bad news … Continue Reading
This was a southern Illinois work comp case we didn’t handle, but read about. To me it’s interesting. A supervisor at a prison hurt his shoulder and hand when he fell forward while going up the stairs at the start of his work day. He was carrying a drink in one hand and his keys … Continue Reading
No attorney can guarantee anything, but we can certainly say what is 99% likely based on years and years of experience. I thought of this the other day when I read about an injured worker who took his case to trial. He was lifting a case of product when he felt a pop in his … Continue Reading
A caller to my office had an unusual, but not unheard of situation. He injured his back at work in Chicago and reported the accident right away. The accident was on a Tuesday. He, as required by law, took a drug test and failed. He admits he had been partying the previous Saturday. Normally these … Continue Reading
A caller to our office wanted to know if they should be getting workers’ compensation benefits or long term disability benefits through a policy their employer provided. They were injured on the job in Chicago and filed a workers comp claim with their employer. Although there was no basis for it, the insurance company denied … Continue Reading
A caller to our office from the Rockford area had a question about his recent work injury. He strained his back two days after starting a job and the pain hasn’t gotten better. He reported the accident, but hasn’t done anything with it. The reason for that is he was on a trial period at … Continue Reading
We are Illinois work injury attorneys who will talk to you for free about your case. Start a chat, fill out the contact form or call us for a no cost, no commitment consultation. Do I have an Illinois workers’ compensation case? We get a form of that question many times a day. Most of … Continue Reading
If I told you that I was at work and put a cooler in the trunk of my vehicle and while doing so I injured my ankle, would you think I have an Illinois workers’ compensation case? Most people would assume that putting a cooler in a trunk of a personal car is not part … Continue Reading
One defense to an injured worker claiming that they got hurt on the job is to say that they weren’t really an employee, but rather an independent contractor. Many businesses do this falsely to help themselves cheat on their taxes, avoid paying benefits and full wages and in some cases avoid workers’ compensation claims. We … Continue Reading
Imagine this scenario: You’ve worked the same heavy duty job for 20 years, but have never missed a day of work. You’ve had aches and pains, but don’t complain and take Tylenol when you are feeling especially sore. You get promotions and raises and the owner of the company says he loves you. One day … Continue Reading
Most of the work comp lies I’ve written about involve insurance companies not telling the truth about Illinois work comp law or lazy attorneys telling clients how hard it is to go to trial (it’s not) because they don’t want to do the work needed to get the job done. The other day I heard … Continue Reading
A woman called my office with a pretty typical sounding work injury. She had been hit in the head by a falling box and sustained a concussion and neck injury. The concussion seems better, but she has shooting pains going down her arm which is a sign of a herniated cervical disc. That can be … Continue Reading
There are a lot of myths out there about Illinois workers’ compensation law. Most of these are started by insurance companies or employers who want to discourage you from receiving the benefits you are entitled to under Illinois work comp laws. One myth that we hear a lot is that you have to be on … 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
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
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
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
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
We are Chicago based workers compensation attorneys who through our State wide network handle cases throughout Illinois. We have over 20 years experience and will fight for you. Fill out our contact form, click on the chat button or call us at 312-346-5578 to talk or free with a lawyer. We have been involved in … Continue Reading
If you are reading this, there’s probably been some sort of pop up box that invites you to chat with me. When I’m in the office, you get to chat with a real live lawyer. When I’m out, we have an answering service that will immediately send your questions to me, and we call back … Continue Reading
Although Illinois workers’ compensation laws are very fair for workers, the simple act of being at work when you get injured is not enough to have a case. You have to show your job duties exposed you to an “increased risk” of getting injured. So if you walk down the hallway and slip on a … Continue Reading
There is a general rule that you can’t sue your employer for negligence if you are injured on the job. That rule was what created the whole workers’ compensation system in Illinois way back when. As far as I know, that’s how it is in every state. The trade off is that you don’t have … Continue Reading
