About six weeks ago when Coronavirus started to rock our worlds in Illinois, we wrote a blog post about how COVID 19 will affect Illinois workers’ compensation cases. The last thing mentioned is that we don’t know what we aren’t thinking of. This is a new situation for everyone. One thing that clearly wasn’t anticipated … Continue Reading
One of the unique things about being an Illinois workers’ compensation attorney is that most of the documents you have clients sign, you don’t create. By that, I mean every lawyer uses the same attorney representation agreement on every case. It’s a state provided form. By law, we have to use that agreement. This is … Continue Reading
There hasn’t been a ton of good news lately, so we will take what we can get. Typically when you get injured or ill from your job, you have to prove that those problems are work related. The other day, Governor Pritzker changed that for certain essential workers. This is actually a very big deal. … Continue Reading
It’s always free to talk to us about your workers compensation questions. Call us at 312-346-5578 or fill out our contact form and we will call you. We work with lawyers all over Illinois so we can help you no matter where you are located. Furloughed is one of the new common words of 2020. … Continue Reading
We are open always, even during Coronavirus. Call us for a free consultation any time at 312-346-5578. Although law firms have been declared an essential business with the COVID-19 shutdown, like most other professions, business is down for everyone that I talk to. What ends up happening to some attorneys when they lose money, is … Continue Reading
A recent caller to my office was very blunt, which I love, because I am very blunt. Being straightforward is the best way to be as a lawyer. He had torn his biceps and labrum on the job. He went to an IME who agreed with his treating doctor that he needed surgery. The caller … Continue Reading
If you have back pains while on the job, you are not alone: A 2015 study found that nearly 40 million American workers suffer from chronic back pain. That is more than a quarter of the workforce reporting back pain severe enough to affect their ability to work. I can tell you as an Illinois … Continue Reading
A caller to my office has been working at a well known company for over six months. She has been doing the same job as every full-time employee in the department who has been there for years. She’s just not an employee of this Chicago area company. How is that possible? Well, she was placed … Continue Reading
In the last two weeks I’ve said, “We’ve never seen anything like this before,” about 20 times. Unemployment filings in Illinois are unfortunately at record highs, and many companies are unofficially out of business. We’ve seen it the most with restaurants, but there are plenty of other businesses that have had to close their doors. … Continue Reading
With the Coronavirus, most courts are closed. This includes, for the most part, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. By that I mean that regular status calls are not happening. Trials where an Arbitrator determines what a case is worth aren’t happening right now. Pre-trials aren’t happening either. I’ve heard from some readers that they need … Continue Reading
The #1 question we get is “What is my case worth?” A close second is probably people wanting to know if they are getting paid the right amount for TTD benefits which is compensation for your time off work when you are hurt on the job in Illinois. The answer to these questions depend on … Continue Reading
Obviously our lives are changing in ways that did not seem imaginable months ago due to Coronavirus. My friend works at the Hancock Tower and his 700 person office is empty. They are all under instructions to work from home. Of course that isn’t unique and they are lucky to even have their jobs. I … Continue Reading
We are Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers who give free advice on all work comp related questions. Fill out our contact form, call or start a chat to have a free consultation with an attorney. A very frustrated Illinois worker called my office recently. He had been injured on the job a couple of years ago, … Continue Reading
I’m no health expert, and don’t like people who act like they are, when in reality, we should all be listening to the real experts when something like Coronavirus happens. What I do know, is that it’s obvious that this is not like anything we’ve seen in recent times, and it’s going to impact our … Continue Reading
We are Chicago work comp lawyers who help people with work related injuries throughout Illinois. If you want a free consultation call us at 312-346-5578 or fill out our form and we will call you. While we have helped people in just about every profession with Illinois workers’ compensation claims, we have probably helped more … Continue Reading
To be honest, if you have a legitimate injury, the Illinois work comp system is one of the best for employees in the country. Our benefit rates are high, you are able to choose your own doctor and when the case is over you are likely able to get a good settlement. This doesn’t mean … Continue Reading
A Union pipe fitter in Chicago called me with questions about his back and shoulder injuries. He had been in the trade for over 20 years and while he had never filed a workers’ compensation claim, his body was starting to break down from all of the work. Due to the nature of his job, … Continue Reading
Would you try to run a marathon without training for it? You could I guess, but most people wouldn’t be successful and even if they somehow finished, they’d likely hurt themselves. A smart person would do a training program where they worked their way in to shape and prepared their body to handle the stress … Continue Reading
One of the truest things about Illinois workers’ compensation law is that if an insurance company thinks they have any reason to deny your case, they will. Something else that is true is that they often deny cases, and it will turn out that their legal reasoning is flawed. This happened recently to an employee … Continue Reading
I’ve been a lawyer for over 22 years, and I can’t count on one hand the number of people I’ve met who enjoy having to bring a case. Most people would rather be healthy and working. I can’t same I blame them one bit. A lot of those people are really surprised when an insurance … Continue Reading
I’ve kept this blog going for over ten years because I like helping the general public get educated on Illinois workers’ compensation laws. One thing I try to do is not give cookie cutter posts, but instead raise issues that affect real people, even if they aren’t what most readers are thinking about. Sometimes you … Continue Reading
We are experienced Chicago work comp attorneys who will talk to you for free about your case. If you would like our help, please fill out our contact form or call us at 312-346-5578 to speak with a lawyer. One of the great rewards of doing this job is that I get to learn about … Continue Reading
Hiring an attorney is a little different than hiring a plumber or Uber driver or even a handyman. When you hire us, it’s almost never a one day job. We are going to have a relatively long term relationship with you. We don’t need to be best friends, but you as a client have a … Continue Reading
Here’s an Illinois work comp question we get a lot. “How do I know if my injury is work related?” Sometimes the answer is simple and obvious. If you have never had back trouble and pick up a box and feel a pop in your back, if that happened at work it’s work related. If … Continue Reading
About six weeks ago when Coronavirus started to rock our worlds in Illinois, we wrote a blog post about how COVID 19 will affect Illinois workers’ compensation cases. The last thing mentioned is that we don’t know what we aren’t thinking of. This is a new situation for everyone. One thing that clearly wasn’t anticipated … Continue Reading
