A lot of what the general public knows about the law comes from things they hear about on TV or the movies or from other sources like the newspaper or the internet. So I don’t blame them when they ask about things that don’t apply to work comp law in Illinois. The two most common … Continue Reading
I will be the first to admit that I never heard of Silicon Valley Bank before the end of last week. For those who don’t know, it sounds like this bank held a lot of money from start ups and other companies, but didn’t keep enough of the money in house. When clients tried to … Continue Reading
Almost every caller to our office at some point wants to know what their Illinois workers’ compensation case is worth. If it’s not the first thing they ask, it’s in the back of their mind somewhere and it will be asked at some point. That’s a perfectly logical thing to wonder about. I tell people … Continue Reading
An injured Chicago worker who has a lawyer called us to vent about her case. She didn’t call her lawyer because he hasn’t called her back the last two times she called and she thinks he’s on vacation. I was happy to let her rant and get out her frustrations. One thing I liked about … Continue Reading
This is a post that thankfully won’t be relevant to most people who read my blog. That’s because it’s going to discuss a major back injury and treatment for people who can’t get better through physical therapy, epidural injections or surgery. I’m talking about a spinal cord stimulator. A spinal cord stimulator is like a … Continue Reading
For most injured Illinois workers, you get to choose your own physician if you get hurt on the job. If you don’t like that one you have a right to a second opinion. The work comp insurance company has to pay for both of these medical providers as long as the treatment is reasonable and … Continue Reading
If you’ve never had a hernia before, you may not know exactly what it is or may just think of it as a pulled muscle. But a hernia is a bit more serious than that. Put simply, a hernia is a hole in the muscle layer of the abdominal wall. Through that hole, tissue, fat … Continue Reading
A reader of my blog asked the following: My husband was hurt at work in Chicago and missed four months with a knee injury. He’s been back at work for six months. Three months ago the adjuster said she was going to make a settlement offer, but she never did and she hasn’t returned our … 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
Dental workers are getting sick, is their work environment to cause? According to the CDC, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) may be linked to the dentistry field. So if you are a dentist, dental hygenist or other dental worker in Illinois and you have pulmonary fibrosis, you may have a workers’ compensation case. IPF is a … Continue Reading
A reader asks: I hurt my back at work nearly three years ago and had surgery. It was a long process to get better, but I was finally discharged by my surgeon about six months ago. I’ve been back at work and feel great. Do you know when the insurance company will make me a … Continue Reading
There is perhaps no rule more misunderstood under Illinois workers’ compensation law than what it means if you test positive for drugs or alcohol following a work related accident. First things first, your company has an absolute right to give you a drug test. Most people know that. What I keep seeing get confused is … Continue Reading
Of all the things you should know when you talk to a lawyer, one of the biggest is that any reasonable or sane attorney won’t expect you to know everything or anything about the law related to being hurt on the job in Illinois. I’m saddened by the number of people who are embarrassed that … Continue Reading
Bo Jackson is probably the best athlete I’ve ever seen. Think about it, he won the Heisman Trophy, was a stud in the NFL until he got hurt (I hope he got a work comp claim) and was an All-Star in baseball. He was powerful yet graceful at the same time and did some of … Continue Reading
A wage differential is a substitute for the traditional settlement that happens in most Illinois workers’ compensation cases. If you end up with permanent medical restrictions that your employer can’t accommodate, you then need to look for a job within your restrictions. If you can only find a job that causes you a significant wage … Continue Reading
People call us for a variety of reasons. Some worry that they can’t afford to hire a good lawyer. I enjoy these calls because it gives me a chance to dispel the myth that a good lawyer is going to be super expensive. The reality is that anyone can afford a workers’ compensation attorney. The … Continue Reading
Almost every caller to our office at some point wants to know what their Illinois workers’ compensation case is worth. If it’s not the first thing they ask, it’s in the back of their mind somewhere and it will be asked at some point. That’s a perfectly logical thing to wonder about. I tell people … Continue Reading
An injured Chicago worker who has a lawyer called us to vent about her case. She didn’t call her lawyer because he hasn’t called her back the last two times she called and she thinks he’s on vacation. I was happy to let her rant and get out her frustrations. One thing I liked about … Continue Reading
This is a post that thankfully won’t be relevant to most people who read my blog. That’s because it’s going to discuss a major back injury and treatment for people who can’t get better through physical therapy, epidural injections or surgery. I’m talking about a spinal cord stimulator. A spinal cord stimulator is like a … Continue Reading
For most injured Illinois workers, you get to choose your own physician if you get hurt on the job. If you don’t like that one you have a right to a second opinion. The work comp insurance company has to pay for both of these medical providers as long as the treatment is reasonable and … Continue Reading
If you’ve never had a hernia before, you may not know exactly what it is or may just think of it as a pulled muscle. But a hernia is a bit more serious than that. Put simply, a hernia is a hole in the muscle layer of the abdominal wall. Through that hole, tissue, fat … 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
Dental workers are getting sick, is their work environment to cause? According to the CDC, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) may be linked to the dentistry field. So if you are a dentist, dental hygenist or other dental worker in Illinois and you have pulmonary fibrosis, you may have a workers’ compensation case. IPF is a … Continue Reading
