If you slipped and fell at a store, apartment building, restaurant, parking lot, sidewalk, workplace, or other property in Illinois, what you do next can affect both your health and your injury claim. Slip and fall cases are often won or lost based on evidence. The dangerous condition may be cleaned up. Surveillance video may…
If you were hit by a semi-truck, box truck, delivery truck, dump truck, or other commercial vehicle in Illinois, the first steps you take can affect your health, your evidence, and the value of your case. Truck accidents are different from ordinary car accident cases. The injuries are often more serious, the insurance policies are…
A workplace amputation is not just another workers’ compensation claim. In Illinois, the law provides specific statutory benefits for the loss of a finger, hand, arm, toe, foot, leg, eye, or other scheduled body part. But the scheduled-loss payment is often only one part of the case. A serious amputation claim may also involve emergency…
By Matthew C. Jones, Illinois Workers’ Compensation Attorney If an insurance adjuster tells you that your Illinois workers’ compensation case is only worth a small percentage because of an “impairment rating,” be careful. An impairment rating is not the same thing as permanent partial disability, it is not the same thing as the percentage loss…
Quick Answer If your workers’ comp doctor sends you back to work but you are still in pain, the right answer depends on which doctor released you, whether the note says full duty or light duty, and whether you can safely perform your actual job. Do not just disappear or stop showing up without communicating….
A shoulder surgery settlement after a car accident in Illinois can range from $50,000 to $500,000+, depending on the injury, surgery, medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, fault, and insurance coverage. These cases often involve rotator cuff tears, labrum tears, SLAP tears, shoulder impingement, fractures, or dislocations. When surgery is required, the case is…
A neck surgery settlement after a car accident in Illinois can range from $30,000 to over $1,000,000+. The value depends on the surgery, medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, fault, and available insurance. These cases are much different from minor whiplash or neck strain claims. Once a car accident injury requires cervical spine surgery,…
By Matthew Jones, Illinois Workers’ Compensation Lawyer McHargue & Jones, LLC Updated April 2026 Quick answer: The insurance company’s IME doctor does not automatically win. An Illinois workers’ comp arbitrator can believe your treating doctor over the IME doctor, especially when the treating doctor’s opinion is better supported by your medical records, diagnostic tests, accident…
Case study quick answer: A packing-plant worker at an Illinois meat processing and packing facility was denied cervical spine surgery and TTD benefits after the insurance company relied on an IME. McHargue & Jones took the treating surgeon’s deposition, cross-examined the IME doctor, tried the case before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, and won authorization…
By Matthew Jones, Illinois Workers’ Compensation Lawyer McHargue & Jones, LLC Updated April 2026 Quick answer: Probably not. Most Illinois workers’ comp cases do not end in a full trial. In my practice, roughly 95–98% of cases do not go all the way to trial. But many disputed cases still require a request for hearing,…
By Matthew Jones, Illinois Workers’ Compensation Lawyer McHargue & Jones, LLC Last reviewed: April 2026 Quick answer: In Illinois workers’ compensation, a “trial” usually means an arbitration hearing before an arbitrator at the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, or IWCC. There is no jury. The arbitrator reviews testimony, medical records, doctor depositions, IME reports, bills, wage…
By Matthew C. Jones Yes, you may be able to get a loan or cash advance on a workers’ compensation case in Illinois—but you need to be very careful. These loans can help keep you afloat when the insurance company cuts off your checks, denies surgery, or tries to starve you into a cheap settlement….
Short answer: you do not keep the full settlement. In an Illinois car accident case, the gross settlement is usually reduced by attorney fees, case costs, and medical bills or liens before the final check goes out. That is why people asking how much their Illinois car accident case is worth should also ask what…
Short answer: insurance policy limits are the most an insurance company has to pay on a claim. In a typical Illinois car accident case, that may mean only $25,000 for one injured person. In a commercial truck accident case, the available insurance can be much higher, but the coverage analysis is also more complicated because…
A back strain or soft tissue back injury settlement in Illinois typically ranges from $3,000 to $75,000+ for non-surgical cases. Most claims involve physical therapy, doctor visits, and sometimes an MRI—but no injections or surgery. In many cases, settlement value is driven by medical bills, pain and suffering, and how long symptoms last. While some…
