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.
Someone who recently clicked on my chat button (which I assume you’ve seen already) and asked a really good question. She wanted to know how long it would take to get her IME report. An IME report is an “independent medical exam” finding. Basically, the insurance company gets to pick a doctor to examine you … Continue Reading
Per the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, you have the right to two medical opinions when it comes to your care. As long as the medical care is “reasonable” the insurance company has to pay for it. This comes up a lot from clients/callers who want to know how to get a second opinion and more … Continue Reading
After Thanksgiving last year we had a crazy snow storm and got 13 inches of snow in one day or as those of us who have lived most of our lives in Chicago call it, a Tuesday. It was a mess for sure, but nothing you haven’t seen before. It was later that week when … Continue Reading
I don’t want to say that the people who run insurance companies are cartoon villains, but sometimes their minions sure act like there is a crazy evil hand controlling all of their moves. At the start of the case you are likely to get a request for medical record authorization form. It’s usually a broad … Continue Reading
I’ve written before about the Illinois work comp law principle that says the insurance company can’t make you have surgery if you don’t want to. Having something like a spine surgery is a big decision and it’s your decision. If not having the surgery leaves you with permanent restrictions and costs the insurance company more … Continue Reading
I’m an attorney and the times I’ve had to hire an attorney and pay them up front I haven’t been happy about it. Their service was great, but just like anyone else, if I don’t have to spend money for an attorney I don’t want to. Once every other week or so, someone calls me … Continue Reading
A lot of different problems can come up in an Illinois workers’ compensation case. Most of them stem from the fact that the insurance company is looking for any way possible to not pay money on your claim, even at times if doing so is against the law. As a result the number one question … Continue Reading
I’m able to see which searches lead people to our blog and one of the leading ones is, “Who is the top workers’ compensation lawyer in Chicago?” I chuckle at this because it reminds me of relatives talking about their doctor being “the best” there is. It feels good to believe you have the top … Continue Reading
I’ve been an Illinois workers’ compensation attorney for 21 years. I like to say that I’ve heard it all, but recently I heard something new. A woman called me looking for a lawyer. I looked up her case and discovered that she had hired an attorney who had filed the case just one week prior. … Continue Reading
Attorneys are required to do 30 hours of continuing legal education (CLE) every two years. I’m listening to one right now about time management and attorneys and it brings up a great point. In a nutshell, there are a lot of lawyers who are late. They miss deadlines to email you, to call you, they … Continue Reading
I’m not a fan of Walmart and have long refused to shop at their stores. This is based on their terrible history of how they have treated their employees. I realize that this doesn’t make a dent in their bottom line, but I can’t support a company has a history of making employees skip meal … Continue Reading
If you have a suffered a work injury in Illinois, the best-case scenario is to receive excellent medical care and recover well enough to return to work without restrictions. Unfortunately not every case works that way. Sometimes you get “better” but aren’t nearly as healthy as you used to be and can’t do your old … Continue Reading
A caller to my office had a unique case. She had hurt her shoulder a while ago while working for a municipality in Illinois. The medical bills have been accepted and paid. Compensation was provided for all the time off work. The case has been ready to settle for almost a year and her lawyer … Continue Reading
I firmly believe that EVERY Illinois employee should exercise their right to claim workers’ compensation benefits if they are hurt on the job. This includes people who make a ton of money because often when you are injured and don’t have any income, the next thing that happens is you are broke. This point was … Continue Reading
I recently got a call from a woman with a bad shoulder injury. It turned out not to be an Illinois case, she just stumbled upon my blog while researching her issues. She actually needed a Pennsylvania workers’ compensation attorney and since I know a great firm there I recommended she call them. They hit … Continue Reading
Every day across Illinois, hundreds of people get hurt while working. Most of those injuries are minor and require little to no treatment. Some of those accidents are of course more serious and require significant medical treatment. Because you don’t have to pay a penny for medical care when you are hurt at work and … Continue Reading
While I always encourage people to work things out with their lawyer if they can, when you have a crappy one and know it, it’s best to switch before it’s too late. It doesn’t cost anything to switch work comp lawyers in Illinois and if it can you on the right track it’s worth it. … Continue Reading
We are Chicago based work injury attorneys who cover all of Illinois. If you would like our help fill out our contact form or call us at 312-346-5578 for a free consultation. When it comes to hiring a lawyer for a work injury, the most important qualification for them to have is that their focus … Continue Reading
I love urgent care facilities. For me. That’s because it’s cheaper than a regular doctor or the ER and of course quicker too. So if my kid is sick, but not too sick, it’s a great option. For anyone injured at work in Illinois, these “minute clinics” are a terrible idea. I had one reader … Continue Reading
I get calls all of the time from business owners. I try to politely tell them that I only represent injured workers and can’t answer their questions. Some offer to pay me and I decline. It’s just not what I do. At least one Illinois work comp defense firm doesn’t work the same way. I … Continue Reading
As attorneys, we are required to take continuing legal education classes (CLE), 30 hours every two years. The other day I was listening to a webinar and the topic was customer service. It’s a topic I write about a lot because I get so frustrated by work comp firms in Illinois that don’t deliver customer … Continue Reading
We’ve helped a lot of Amazon employees over the last few years. They are working so hard and moving so many products that they sustain a lot of injuries. In fact Amazon was named one of the 12 most dangerous places to work. We’ve been a part of numerous recoveries for many Illinois Amazon workers. … Continue Reading
One of the first classes I took in law school was on criminal defense. It wasn’t the area of law for me, but one of the principles taught really resonated with me. The professor emphasized that everyone has a right to have their case heard. Lawyers should get this and if there is any employer … Continue Reading
A caller to my office said that she was injured at work and the insurance company was paying all of her medical bills and lost time payments. She said the adjuster was very nice. However, all of her friends were telling her that even though her case was accepted, she should hire an attorney. She … Continue Reading
Someone who recently clicked on my chat button (which I assume you’ve seen already) and asked a really good question. She wanted to know how long it would take to get her IME report. An IME report is an “independent medical exam” finding. Basically, the insurance company gets to pick a doctor to examine you … Continue Reading
