Dental workers are getting sick, is their work environment to cause? According to the CDC, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) may be linked to the dentistry field. So if you are a dentist, dental hygenist or other dental worker in Illinois and you have pulmonary fibrosis, you may have a workers’ compensation case. IPF is a … Continue Reading
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a really serious problem in our country. While it’s most associated with soldiers coming back from war, the truth is that it occurs in civilian jobs too. The most common example is someone who gets robbed at gun point and mentally can not feel comfortable with a return to … Continue Reading
So many Illinois workers lift things and that leads to a lot of injuries. The back is the most common problem, but a close second is an injury to your shoulder. Not taking care of that shoulder injury could make your life much more difficult than it needs to be. The original injury may not … Continue Reading
I will never forget when I tore my rotator cuff in my right shoulder. I had represented scores of people who had this injury, but never truly understood it until then. It happened while playing goalie for an adult soccer team. Like many of the injured workers I’ve helped over the years, I didn’t realize … Continue Reading
Degenerative disk disease is caused by wear and tear on the spinal disks. This condition appears when a person’s disks lose the ability to absorb shock naturally over time. Typically found either in the lower back or upper neck this disease is known to cause chronic pain, weakness and numbness. While it may sound like … Continue Reading
Spinal stenosis is defined as a narrowing of the bone channel occupied by the spinal nerves or spinal cord. Typically, it is caused by degeneration of the bones, disks, muscles and ligaments that make up the spinal column. However, in certain instances and jobs, work can add to this already extremely painful condition; causing a … Continue Reading
There’s a hack IME doctor who says that you can only get carpal tunnel if you are constantly using force and working fast with your hands. He’s been over ruled time and time again. A recent Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission trial decision showed why this insurance company strategy is usually a loser. In general, no … Continue Reading
Cellulitis is an infection, caused by bacteria, both of the skin and under the skin. This infection can get deep into the skin layers causing major damages when left untreated. Typically, this bacterial infection, similar to staph or MRSA, starts when there is a break of some sort in your skin. Skin ulcers, surgical wounds, … Continue Reading
Taking shortcuts and exposing yourself to unnecessary dangers can ruin your chances in an Illinois worker’s compensation case. Especially if your injury is a direct result of your short cut or self-imposed risk. Take for instance the case of Dodson v. Industrial Commission. In this case, an employee was injured while walking to her car, … Continue Reading
Tennis elbow isn’t just for the Williams sisters. In fact, the majority of people diagnosed with lateral epicondylitis (AKA tennis elbow) have never played a game of tennis in their lives. When repetitive motions overuse the tendons in your elbow, the painful condition begins. Usually the pain is felt where your forearm muscles meet the … Continue Reading
Jobs that require you to use repetitive motions of different body parts can cause major damage to your nerves. One of the nerve issues could be peripheral neuropathy. Peripheral neuropathy is typically diagnosed after some sort of damage has occurred to the nerves in your body. This damage could be from a sudden impact such … Continue Reading
We received a call recently from a very nice man who had worked in warehousing his entire life and was constantly exposed to asbestos. His question was can he bring an Illinois workers’ compensation claim and if so, who would it be against? Asbestos cases are tricky because most injuries don’t show up for ten … Continue Reading
I have and will continue to call out attorneys on their BS and provide warnings of things for you to lookout for because we should all strive to make the system as great as it can be for injured workers in Illinois. One item I’ve ranted about in the past are lawyers who have doctor … Continue Reading
Major rhomboid injuries can cause severe back pain and are nothing to joke around with. The rhomboid is a muscle on that connects your shoulder blade to your spine. Located in that sweet spot, near the upper middle of your back where you can’t really reach to rub the pain away, an injury could lay … Continue Reading
When you’ve been practicing law for a long time, you begin to notice patterns. Cases settle easier when the year is almost over. Slip and falls happen in a high volume in February. And custodians get injured every July and August moving boxes and cabinets. In the last month I’ve been called by five custodians … Continue Reading
I try to talk in plain English when I write and when you call. Phony lawyers who use big words to try and seem smart are not my cup of tea. That said, I want to talk about first responders and heart attacks and it’s not all “plain English. As we all know, firefighters, emergency … Continue Reading
In 20 years or so of being a lawyer, I’ve probably talked to more certified nursing assistants (CNA’s) than any other profession. That’s because there are so many of them and since they are lifting and moving all of the time, they have a high risk of injury. A common call is that they were … Continue Reading
Do you have histoplasmosis? Do you think it’s related to your job? If so, call us at (312) 346-5578 or fill out our contact form. We have experience with these cases and cover all of Illinois. As always, it’s free to contact us and there is no fee unless we are successful. Read on for … Continue Reading
Is your workplace making you sick, literally? We all have those days were the white lights and glare of the computer monitor just physically drains our bodies. That’s not likely a compensable work related injury. But what if something about the building you work in is causing you problems? Sick building syndrome is a real … Continue Reading
We’ve blogged before about injuries from having to wear certain footwear (e.g. steel toed boots, high heels) that causes a problem. We’ve also talked about the fact that while the general act of standing or walking at work isn’t a case, it can be if exceptions are met. This includes having to walk long distances … Continue Reading
I’ve torn my rotator cuff and hurt my back. I’m all better now. Being a runner, I worry about hurting my back again, an Achilles injury and very painful labrum tears. Let’s talk about that one and how it relates to Illinois workers’ comp. Labrum tears happen in the shoulder and the hip. In the … Continue Reading
I hate gotcha type headlines, but am going to excuse myself on this one since it’s April 1 and it’s interesting, at least to me. We were involved in a case for a client whose case settled this year for over $100,000.00 after she had a traumatic wrist injury following a fall at work. What … Continue Reading
A woman called me with what sounded like a great case. She works in a job where she types all day and uses her hands. She got bilateral (both hands) carpal tunnel and has had surgery on each wrist. One of the surgeries didn’t go well and she can no longer work in her old … Continue Reading
We are Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers. We’ve created an Illinois wide network of tough, experienced attorneys who will fight for you. If you need a lawyer or just have questions call us at (312) 346-5578 or fill out the form to the right. It’s free to contact us and we help everywhere in Illinois. Repetitive … Continue Reading
So many Illinois workers lift things and that leads to a lot of injuries. The back is the most common problem, but a close second is an injury to your shoulder. Not taking care of that shoulder injury could make your life much more difficult than it needs to be. The original injury may not … Continue Reading
I will never forget when I tore my rotator cuff in my right shoulder. I had represented scores of people who had this injury, but never truly understood it until then. It happened while playing goalie for an adult soccer team. Like many of the injured workers I’ve helped over the years, I didn’t realize … Continue Reading
Degenerative disk disease is caused by wear and tear on the spinal disks. This condition appears when a person’s disks lose the ability to absorb shock naturally over time. Typically found either in the lower back or upper neck this disease is known to cause chronic pain, weakness and numbness. While it may sound like … Continue Reading
Spinal stenosis is defined as a narrowing of the bone channel occupied by the spinal nerves or spinal cord. Typically, it is caused by degeneration of the bones, disks, muscles and ligaments that make up the spinal column. However, in certain instances and jobs, work can add to this already extremely painful condition; causing a … Continue Reading
Tennis elbow isn’t just for the Williams sisters. In fact, the majority of people diagnosed with lateral epicondylitis (AKA tennis elbow) have never played a game of tennis in their lives. When repetitive motions overuse the tendons in your elbow, the painful condition begins. Usually the pain is felt where your forearm muscles meet the … Continue Reading
Major rhomboid injuries can cause severe back pain and are nothing to joke around with. The rhomboid is a muscle on that connects your shoulder blade to your spine. Located in that sweet spot, near the upper middle of your back where you can’t really reach to rub the pain away, an injury could lay … Continue Reading
