Free advice from a Chicago workers compensation attorney on what to do if injured on the job in Illinois. Help all over including Wheaton, Peoria, Decatur, Quad Cities, all of IL for job accidents.
Most Illinois workers’ compensation cases don’t go to trial. They usually settle well before that is a possibility and in some cases they settle right before the case is going to go to hearing. While this is usual for 90%+ of cases, some do go to arbitration. That happens because there is a real disagreement … Continue Reading
One strange twist in Illinois workers’ compensation law right now is that marijuana is legal, but you still get drug tested for it if you are hurt on the job. And if you test positive, not only could your claim be denied (although in most cases we can still win for you), you could also … Continue Reading
Over the last few weeks I’ve had some injured Illinois workers ask similar questions about being released back to work. “How do I tell my doctor I’m not ready to go back to work?” asked one of them. “Can my doctor make me return to work if I don’t feel ready?” asked another. First off, … Continue Reading
We are experienced Chicago work comp attorneys who talk and act like normal human beings. We help with cases everywhere in Illinois. Call or email for a free consultation with an attorney any time. Every couple of months we do a post that answers some questions that we don’t want to make in to a … Continue Reading
Some Illinois work comp legal terms make total sense and need no explanation. Others for whatever reason are very confusing and if you’ve never been involved in a work injury case before they seem like a foreign language. One such term that comes to mind right away is “man as a whole.” When you settle … Continue Reading
One of the hardest things about getting hurt on the job is trying to educate yourself on what Illinois work comp laws and rules are while trying to deal with an injury and worry about having money to pay to live. You can’t and shouldn’t be expected to know everything or anything which is one … Continue Reading
Even before COVID 19, in many of the cases we get involved with, the client and the attorney never meet face to face. In some cases that’s because the client lives out of state but was hurt in Illinois. In others it’s because we email paperwork to sign up and the handling attorney and injured … 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
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
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
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
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
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
We are plain speaking, experienced attorneys who help people all over Illinois with work injuries. If you would like to speak with a lawyer for free, fill out our contact form or give us a call. Every two years, Illinois attorneys have to do 30 hours of continuing legal education (CLE). I do all of … Continue Reading
As I get older, my weekends are certainly way less about going to bars than they were when I was in my twenties. My wife and I like to go to dinner with friends. We also do game nights with our friends. It’s a good excuse to get together and laugh at ourselves and our … Continue Reading
I’ve been an Illinois workers’ compensation attorney since 1997. When I started, my first boss warned me about the attorneys to look out for because he felt they were shady. This was part of my training. He also let me know who he thinks are the top lawyers that he respects. That’s good information to … Continue Reading
There was some TV show back when I was a kid, maybe Different Strokes, where one kid had drugs and asked a friend to hold it for him. The friend was reluctant to do it, but gave in to the pressure. They are told if anything happens, they will take the blame. As you can … Continue Reading
There are some things that lawyers do to benefit your case that require a brain or experience or the willingness to really grind. Those qualities are really important in a lawyer. In some cases though, the way to get the biggest settlement possible is to do something simple. So what should your work comp attorney … Continue Reading
Some Illinois work comp attorneys will say anything in order to get a client to hire them. There’s one that tells you the value of your case right away even though they are making it up and say outrageous numbers that will never happen. There is another who likes to talk about how they’ve never … Continue Reading
I checked the search terms that lead to clicks on my blog. The most popular search from the last month was something along the lines of “The IME says I can work, but I don’t feel I can.” It’s not surprising that people want to learn about how to handle that. We get a variation … Continue Reading
Happy new year! I thought to start off the year I’d write down a lot of tips and legal advice for people who may have an Illinois workers’ compensation claim. In no particular order here are 99 things we think you should know: 1. Illinois work comp is a no fault law. You don’t have … Continue Reading
A caller to my office had a shameful Illinois workers’ compensation story. She works in the Quad Cities and was injured there, but hired a (in my strong opinion) shady Chicago work comp firm that does a lot of TV advertising to represent her. These are lawyers that seem to try and sign up as … Continue Reading
Most Illinois workers’ compensation cases don’t go to trial. They usually settle well before that is a possibility and in some cases they settle right before the case is going to go to hearing. While this is usual for 90%+ of cases, some do go to arbitration. That happens because there is a real disagreement … Continue Reading
