My short answer: you should almost always try to use workers’ compensation insurance, not your own health insurance, for a work injury. Here’s why. 1. No co-pays, no deductibles, no out-of-pocket bills Under workers’ comp, there are no co-pays or deductibles for approved treatment. When your claim is accepted and the bills are handled correctly,…
What does the insurance adjuster mean “it’s under investigation”? You hurt yourself at work and you opened a claim with the insurance company. They should be paying your benefits, right? But the adjuster is telling you that they are investigating and don’t want to pay. What does that mean, and what can you do next?…
If you were injured on the job and received workers’ compensation benefits, you may be wondering whether those payments count as taxable income. This is a common — and important — question for injured Illinois workers, especially if you’re planning a settlement or already receiving benefits. Below, our Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers explain how workers’…
Each month, the National Safety Council (NSC) observes different safety campaigns to promote safety, responsibility, and well-being across the country. In March, it is officially National Ladder Safety Month, as presented by the American Ladder Institute. At McHargue & Jones, LLC, we are often called upon to help clients who have fallen off unsafe ladders,…
Understanding Occupational Illnesses Is your job making you sick? We are not talking about workplace frustrations like not enough pay for too much work. We’re talking about actual illnesses. Occupational illnesses are a serious concern for people in numerous jobs and industries. Each day at work, someone in such an industry might be exposed to…
According to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), November of 2020 was the fourth hottest November on record, which dates back to pre-1900. November 2021 is looking to compete with last year, too. Whether you live in California, Idaho, Illinois, Florida, or Massachusetts, you have probably noticed that working outside is getting warmer…
Not all jobs keep you behind a desk or counter, or even within a brick-and-mortar place of employment. Many people make a living by driving around their cities and counties each day, and we’re not talking just about truck drivers. The growing “gig economy” has allowed thousands and thousands of Americans to use their cars…
Sideswipe accidents are a fairly common type of car accident. Because of their commonality, some drivers assume that sideswipes are mostly not that dangerous, especially because they don’t involve a direct impact. However, this is quite far from the truth. Sideswipes can be just as dangerous and devastating as any other collision, depending on what…
No driver wants to hit an innocent animal while they are driving, yet accidents involving a car and an animal happen all the time. If you’re in an accident with an animal, can you hold someone liable for the damage to your car? Can the animal’s owner, if there is one, hold you liable for…
Halloween night often has busy streets that are packed with motorists and trick-or-treaters alike. With so many people on the roads, it is important that you prioritize safety first and foremost if you are heading out on Halloween. Before you drive anywhere, check out this quick list of Halloween driving safety tips. Stay sober: Drunk…
What Is a Seizure? A seizure is a medical condition caused by neurological damage or deficiencies. When an electrical impulse in the brain is unable to reach its intended destination or otherwise “misfires,” it can cause a seizure. Although many types of seizures are caused by identifiable seizures, a rare few are not, which means…
Most workers don’t want to get in trouble with their employer, even when they know that their employer is doing something wrong. Unfortunately, this type of thinking contributes to many unsafe workplaces around the country. The people who see something is unsafe are the same ones who are worried about reporting it. The conflict begs…
Construction accidents can be entirely prevented in the vast majority of incidents. They usually happen because someone was not being as safe or as mindful as the jobsite required them to be. As such, it is important for every worker on a construction site to know how to report any jobsite hazards they encounter. Otherwise,…
As we reported in a previous blog entry, there are about 3 fatal construction accidents a day in America, based on data from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). To bring that number down to zero, construction workers and employers alike need to think more about preventing accidents around the average jobsite. We share…
How common are construction accidents? According to data from the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA), there were 1,061 worker fatalities on construction sites in 2019. This number equates to nearly 3-a-day and about 20% of all work-related fatalities recorded by OSHA that year. Despite how harrowing it might be to know that three fatal…
