An Illinois court of appeals awarded workers’ compensation to a woman who tripped on a cracked sidewalk on her way into work. She was a county employee, entering the county courthouse after a work meeting elsewhere. The door she normally entered through was locked, and she was on her way to the front steps of … Continue Reading
We talk to a lot of people about parking lot injuries at work and whether they’re covered under Illinois workers’ compensation law. It tends to be a grey area. The law says that injuries that arise out of and in the course of employment are covered. When an employee is hurt in the parking lot, … Continue Reading
Insurance companies aren’t known for being easy to work with, or helpful to those seeking coverage, or honest and straightforward when explaining what you’re entitled to or how it all works. And that really stinks for an injured employee. You’re basically on your own. Actually, it’s worse than being on your own because the other … Continue Reading
Sometimes I get phone calls that really just make me shake my head. Now I don’t talk to these lawyers with the alleged bad behavior so sometimes some of the things they are doing can be explained away. But a recent caller to my office told me that his case had gone to trial … Continue Reading
“Utilization Review” actually sounds rather benign, but it can seriously affect your case. It’s one of the ways insurance companies try to hurt your claim or deny certain medical treatment. The law in Illinois says that the insurance company has to pay for all reasonable medical care that is related to your job injury. Even … Continue Reading
It probably is. We encourage you to shop around for a lawyer. Not for cost reasons, but to find the best fit. Experience should be a major factor in who you hire. Many years of focused practice is not an unreasonable expectation. Ask an attorney about their past successes, general strategy and the potential outcomes … Continue Reading
Nobody wants to go to trial and lose, but if you do, you can appeal your case and so can the other side if you win. Sometimes people come to us asking us to handle the appeal part of their case after it’s been tried by another law firm. We’ve never agreed to do this. … Continue Reading
There are a lot of great scenes in the movie Animal House, but one of the best is John Belushi’s speech where he says, “Over?!?!? Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor?” Bluto Blutarski goes on to offer a great piece of advice for most Illinois workers’ compensation claims: “Nothing is over … Continue Reading
We don’t take on a case if we don’t like a client. That doesn’t mean we have to be best buddies, but it does mean that if we think you are faking your injury or lying about how you got hurt that we’d decline to represent you. If you get known for helping liars and … Continue Reading
Many workers are able to get payments – called temporary total disability – if they miss work because of an injury. How do you know if you qualify? Here are the basic requirements: – You have a work-related injury. If you were hurt doing something for your employer, even if it wasn’t your regular duties, … Continue Reading
As a disclaimer, it’s impossible to predict the outcome in any case. We aren’t claiming that this is the secret formula for a “good” case. But these are the factors that we see again and again in Illinois cases that end in favor of the worker. A clear, work-related incident. In order to be … Continue Reading
We heard about a case recently that really shows that fine line between a work injury and a non-work injury. The employee slipped and fell in the parking lot on their way into work. These cases can go either way. They largely depend on how involved their employer is in where their employees park. The … Continue Reading
Illinois workers’ compensation law determines who is covered and who is not. If covered, you are entitled to benefits, including payment of some of your lost wages (if any) and all reasonable and related medical bills. Many injured workers also end up with a settlement amount at the end of their claim, once their treatment … Continue Reading
Usually, the answer to that question is no. The general rule in Illinois is that you can’t file a lawsuit against your employer if you get hurt on the job. Your only remedy, in most cases, is to file a claim for workers’ compensation and get benefits from your employer or their workers’ compensation insurance … Continue Reading
If you have not signed a settlement contract and gotten it approved by the Illinois workers’ compensation commission, then your claim has not been officially closed. You might still have an open claim, even years later. This means that you might be entitled to further benefits, including medical if you still need it, and a … Continue Reading
Many Illinois work injury lawyers advertise that they offer a “free consultation” to potential clients. Are they offering anything of substance or are they simply trying to get you in the door? It’s probably a little bit of both, but generally speaking, the free consultation is a good thing for both sides. You can get … Continue Reading
I think every generation thinks that the one that follows it is the worst. When I was in school and causing trouble, I’m pretty sure that none of my teachers thought I would amount to anything (not that I did much that bad). I don’t think kids are any worse now than we were, … Continue Reading
One of the basic principles of Illinois workers’ compensation law is that you can not sue your employer for negligence. That also means that you can’t sue a co-worker if they were negligent and that’s what resulted in your injury. So if you are working on a machine with someone else and that person carelessly … Continue Reading
Retaliation cases are cases brought by injured workers who have been fired because they filed a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. Injured workers are entitled to benefits under Illinois law and employers are not supposed to get in the way of that. If they do, it might lead to a retaliatory discharge lawsuit. Sometimes, an … Continue Reading
Illinois has an entire set of laws on the books to help workers who are injured on the job. Here are ten reasons why you should file a claim. 1. If your job causes an injury, Illinois law entitles you to benefits. Sometimes, they’re easy to get and other times you have to fight, but … Continue Reading
Most attorneys we know, and all of the attorneys we recommend, do not charge a consultation fee. You should be able to meet with a work injury attorney, discuss your injury and ask questions without paying anything. If an attorney tells you that they charge for an initial consultation, you might want to find someone … Continue Reading
It’s a hard question to answer, because every case is different. If you have big medical bills or need checks for lost wages, we know that even a week can seem like an eternity. You shouldn’t, however, need to wait forever to hear back from your lawyer. And there’s no reason why they shouldn’t explain … Continue Reading
A car or truck accident can count as a work accident, and make you eligible for workers’ compensation benefits, in certain situations. Here’s what Illinois law says on the issue… Regular commutes to and from work don’t usually count. If you get into an accident on your way in on a regular workday, it’s probably … Continue Reading
Employees who are injured on the job can get help, in the form of various benefits, from their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company. This system of compensation is set by law in Illinois. The law covers eligibility, benefit amounts, timelines, deadlines and other details. There are some situations, however, that fall outside of Illinois’ work … Continue Reading
