There isn’t much worse in the legal field than an older, disgruntled attorney who hates his life and job and is only still working as an attorney because he (usually) or she doesn’t know how to do anything else or at least can’t make much money doing anything else. So these lawyers take on clients … Continue Reading
It doesn’t happen very often in Illinois, but once every 50 cases or so, an employer or an insurance company will ask a worker to resign as part of any workers’ compensation settlement. This usually happens because they either: A. They think you are a pain in the butt and don’t want you around; or … Continue Reading
I just received word that an incredilbe lawyer, Robert McCarthy, just passed away. I first met Bob 14 years ago when I began to form my state wide network of lawyers. He was a Commissioner at the Illinois Industrial Commission (now known as the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission) and was also a State Senator. He … Continue Reading
Being an attorney, especially a workers’ compensation attorney is not that hard. But there are some firms, for whatever reason, who only want the cases that will easily settle for them and there is litle to no work. These firms will tell you to use your own insurance the second that a dispute rises up … Continue Reading
There is a workers’ compensation law firm in Chicago that gets a high number of clients. That’s because they advertise a ton and seemingly will take any case that comes through the door. They need a lot of lawyers to handle all of those cases, but when you are taking claims on that involve a … Continue Reading
Some injured employees we talk to are interested in hiring a lawyer to help them get benefits but are hesitant because they don’t want a lawyer calling their employer. This is an easy concern to address because the answer is simple – we don’t contact your employer. One of the first things we do … Continue Reading
The insurance company is defending your employer against your workers’ compensation claim. Their job is to spend as little money as possible on your claim. This might mean denying certain benefits, or turning your claim down altogether. In their quest to spend less, they’ll want to gather as much information about you as possible. … Continue Reading
If you’ve been injured at work, you might be hesitant to call an Illinois work comp lawyer. I get that. But there are some good reasons to give an experienced lawyer a call. Here are five of them. It’s free. You should be able to talk to an experienced, knowledgeable and well-respected workers’ compensation attorney for no … Continue Reading
One of the best ways to ensure a good outcome in your Illinois workers’ compensation case is to work with your doctor and communicate with him or her about everything. Your doctor’s opinion on how you were injured, the severity of your injury, what your treatment should be, and (when the time comes) whether you … Continue Reading
This is probably all new to you, if you’ve just been injured on the job, so here are some things you should know as you look into filing a claim and getting benefits under Illinois workers’ compensation law. Your injury has to be related to your job. Not every job injury is covered under workers’ … Continue Reading
The key to proving that your injury is a work injury (and that you get benefits) is connecting it to your job duties. Look at what your job requires of you, especially things that you don’t normally do in your non-work life. Some situations and injuries are clearly work related. If you are managing a … Continue Reading
It’s your lawyer’s job to win your case, but you have a larger role than you might think. In short, don’t do these things. Don’t lie. If you lie to your doctor, your boss, or the insurance company, it can really come back to bite you. Be honest about your injury, including how it … Continue Reading
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, a well known repetitive trauma injury, is generally covered under Illinois workers’ compensation law. This means that if your job causes Carpal Tunnel Syndrome (CTS), then you can file a claim for benefits with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. The same is true of other repetitive trauma injuries, including De Quervain’s, rotator … Continue Reading
I have told many people that you don’t want to hire an attorney that is too old. When you see a lawyer in their 70’s or 80’s that is still practicing law, it’s often because they are broke or more typically because they don’t know what else to do with themselves. When they are practicing … Continue Reading
A Chicago ironworker contacted me recently. He had worked with the law firm that his union told him to hire and realizes now that it’s a crappy firm and they essentially sold him out for an easy settlement. His theory, which actually makes sense to me, is that the union lawyer agreed to resolve a … Continue Reading
Suffering a job injury is bad enough, but what happens when you get hurt again while you are recovering? It’s frustrating, and you are probably wondering how it will affect your workers’ compensation benefits. In many situations, you can be covered for the second injury. It depends on the cause. In either case, your second … Continue Reading
The back is one of the most common parts of the body to be injured on the job. Our backs and spines are complex, with bones, nerves and ligaments all working together. Injuries range from minor sprains to severe spinal cord injuries, and the causes of these injuries are limitless. Needless to say, it’s a … Continue Reading
Don’t be overwhelmed when it comes to finding a lawyer to help you with your work injury case. Do some research, ask some questions and trust your gut. Here are some qualities we consider important in a good attorney. Experience in workers’ compensation. There are many Illinois attorneys who have years of experience handling … Continue Reading
Many people feel overwhelmed after a work injury, especially if it affects their ability to do their job. One thing you should be thinking about is workers’ compensation, which applies exclusively to injured employees. Here are some concrete steps you should take to gain some control over the situation. Tell your boss or supervisor. … Continue Reading
When you are injured on the job while doing something related to your job, Illinois law says that you get workers’ compensation. This should cover all of your related medical bills and even pay you for workdays you are forced to miss because of your injury. In order to put yourself in the best position … Continue Reading
Must be something in the water, but I’ve talked to a ton of people lately that have cases more screwed up than the Chicago Bears defense against the Packers. The #1 culprit of the problems were that these people had hired law firms that aren’t really Illinois workers’ compensation attorneys. Lawyers in Illinois are not … Continue Reading
I got a very sad e-mail from a woman whose husband became paralyzed when his work truck flipped after he swerved to avoid a deer. Their life has been turned in to chaos and they have a long road of challenges ahead. Her e-mail was more venting than anything and she wanted to know how … Continue Reading
One conversation that sticks out in my brain from my early days as an attorney was with an insurance adjuster. I started off my career working for a prominent Chicago workers’ compensation defense firm which is great training for learning how to properly handle a case as well as to learn how insurance companies really … Continue Reading
I tell people never to take legal advice from a non-attorney, so please don’t take this post as medical advice as I’m not a doctor. That said, I’ve seen many cases of plantar fasciitis and had scores of people contact me for help with that injury. It’s different than lifting a box at work and … Continue Reading
