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.
A way too patient injured worker contacted me recently. They wanted to know how long the insurance company had to turn over the report from the independent medical examination (IME) doctor. Here’s what they had to say: I hurt my shoulder at work. Five months ago my work comp benefits were suspended pending an IME … Continue Reading
I was talking to other workers compensation lawyers in Chicago and one of them said, “I can’t believe my client tried to call the insurance adjuster the day after our trial.” That type of thing doesn’t happen very often, but it got me thinking that there are a lot of things that we as lawyers … Continue Reading
The worst thing a lawyer can do is look out for their own interests over that of a client. If an attorney ever settles a case because they need the money or don’t want to do the work needed to get a better result, it’s gross. I recently heard from a caller who hired an … Continue Reading
I have been an Illinois workers’ compensation attorney since 1997. I started off my career as an insurance defense lawyer (yuck!) which was great training for not only being a lawyer, but learning how to properly represent injured workers. It helps to learn how insurance companies think, strategies they use, etc. One of the first … Continue Reading
I recently had a phone call from a suburban police officer who was injured when she was hit by a car on the job. She has two potential claims. The first is obviously a workers’ compensation case. The second is a lawsuit against the driver that caused the accident which resulted in a severe head … Continue Reading
Recently an injured Illinois worker contacted me and said that after being on the case for two years, he got a letter from his lawyer saying he will not handle the case anymore. It’s a case that needs to be taken to trial and this lawyer doesn’t want to do it. My initial instinct was … Continue Reading
One of the most important things for any injured Illinois worker to know is that insurance companies are nothing but businesses trying to maximize profits. In many ways this can hurt you as they will look for reasons to deny your case or cut off benefits and in many cases they will illegally not pay … Continue Reading
I’ve written a lot about lazy Illinois work comp attorneys, but there are also some work comp insurance adjusters who really are slackers. It’s often a low paying and not very rewarding job. I’ve spoken to many over the years that really just wish to be doing something else. The turnover rate at a lot … Continue Reading
If there is one thing I wish every injured Illinois worker would know, it’s that insurance companies will play games. One way or another, they are looking for a way to minimize what they pay you, even when it seems like they are doing everything right. A common tactic is to not actually deny care, … Continue Reading
The first thing I tell any injured worker who is looking for tips on how to win their case is to be honest. That doesn’t mean to overshare information (e.g. don’t give a recorded statement). But it does mean tell the truth whether it’s telling a doctor how you got hurt or not making your … Continue Reading
The biggest problem people have with their Illinois workers compensation lawyers is bad customer service. Some lawyers are rude. Others don’t fight hard. And many are terrible about keeping their clients updated or returning phone calls. I’ve heard lots of stories about an attorney not returning multiple phone calls or failing to get back to … Continue Reading
One of my strengths as an attorney is that I know that even after 24 years I can always learn more. That’s one reason why I am always talking to other attorneys who I respect and picking their brains. I had the opportunity to do that recently with a top Waukegan workers’ compensation attorney. When … Continue Reading
If you hire an attorney to handle a divorce, you are only hiring them to handle the divorce. Similarly, if you hire an Illinois workers’ compensation lawyer, you are only hiring them to handle to the work comp case unless they agree they will also handle something else. A lot of firms, including mine, are … Continue Reading
We are experienced Illinois work injury lawyers who will talk to you for free. Fill out our contact form, click the chat button or call us at 888-705-1766. All calls are free and confidential and we have attorneys throughout Illinois. Some calls from injured workers really piss me off because of the injustice that they … Continue Reading
When people need to hire a lawyer, especially if they are hiring one who only gets paid if they win, they usually want the best one. We’ve written before about how there is not a “best” but the best one for you. Sometimes that’s us and other times it’s someone else. But a reader recently … Continue Reading
I get along with most of the insurance adjusters I’ve talked to over the years. The lawyers I work with on cases throughout Illinois are the same way. If you act like an asshole to the insurance company they will just punish your clients. So we are nice in most situations and let the legal … Continue Reading
Most of the shady moves in Illinois workers’ compensation cases happen by insurance companies. They’ll do things like deny your medical benefits without a reason, send a nurse case manager to your doctor’s appointments, or lie and say the case is “under investigation” with the hopes that you will just go away. Some employers can … Continue Reading
With Covid finally under control, the airline industry is booming. The last year has had people on edge and also emboldened some people to behave like assholes. As a result, passenger problems on airlines are increasing. How much? From April 8 to May 15, Southwest reported 477 passenger incidents. That’s a crazy high number. I … Continue Reading
I don’t usually get questions I haven’t heard before, but it happens. A reader of my blog contacted me with a question I haven’t been asked in my 24 years of being a workers’ compensation lawyer. He wanted to know: If my employer wants me to go back to work after a work related injury, … Continue Reading
We are experienced work injury attorneys who will talk to you for free. Call us at 888-705-1766 or fill out our contact form and we will call you. All calls are confidential. We get a lot of calls and emails from people who are not happy with their lawyers. Some just have questions. Some want … Continue Reading
We are all excited that Illinois is open again and while Covid might not be all the way behind us, it does feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel. If you are in Chicago, you can tell things are getting better. The Loop and public transportation are getting busier. Many restaurants … Continue Reading
A statement I hear a lot from injured workers is that “I’m not the suing type.” That’s alright because Illinois workers’ compensation claims aren’t lawsuits, they are claims for benefits you are entitled to. So just like you wouldn’t feel bad using your company’s health insurance if you or a family member got sick, you … Continue Reading
We are experienced Chicago workers’ compensation attorneys who will talk to you for free about your work injury case. We have a state-wide network of aggressive attorneys who care about their clients. Call us at 312-346-5578 for a free consultation. One of the hallmarks of Illinois work comp law is that you can’t sue your … Continue Reading
There is a big update for Cook County injured workers as of today. This morning, hearings for workers’ compensation cases in Chicago have moved from the Thompson Center to across the street at the Daley Center. The Daley Center is the main courthouse in Chicago and is located at 50 W. Washington. It’s a bit … Continue Reading
A way too patient injured worker contacted me recently. They wanted to know how long the insurance company had to turn over the report from the independent medical examination (IME) doctor. Here’s what they had to say: I hurt my shoulder at work. Five months ago my work comp benefits were suspended pending an IME … Continue Reading
