Workers’ Compensation

By Matthew C. Jones, Chicago workers’ compensation attorney at McHargue & Jones. Quick answer: Yes, UPS drivers, feeder drivers, delivery drivers, and truck drivers can sometimes prove Illinois workers’ compensation claims for repetitive-trauma injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome, cubital tunnel syndrome, and trigger finger. The key is proving that the job duties were repetitive,…

By McHargue & Jones, Illinois workers’ compensation lawyers representing injured workers in Rockford, Chicago, and throughout Illinois. A bad Illinois workers’ comp arbitration decision is not always the end of the case. In this Rockford workers’ compensation case, a Spanish-speaking temp staffing worker initially lost the most important parts of her case at arbitration. The…

By Matthew C. Jones, Chicago workers’ compensation attorney at McHargue & Jones. Case result summary: We represented a tree cutter who fell from a tree after a harness failure and shattered both ankles. The employer initially tried to avoid reporting the accident, disputed whether the worker was an employee, and fought the wage calculation because…

By Matthew C. Jones, Chicago workers’ compensation attorney at McHargue & Jones. Quick answer: Yes. You can still have an Illinois workers’ compensation case even if you were paid cash, paid under the table, paid without regular pay stubs, or paid in a way your employer did not properly report. Cash pay can make the…

Quick answer: Yes. A worker can still have an Illinois workers’ compensation claim even if the worker does not have a valid work permit or is undocumented. Employers sometimes try to scare injured workers by saying they do not qualify, cannot file a claim, will get in immigration trouble, or should stay quiet. Do not…

By Matthew C. Jones, Chicago workers’ compensation attorney at McHargue & Jones. Quick answer: Yes, landscapers, lawn care workers, tree cutters, groundskeepers, snow removal workers, and tree service employees are generally covered by Illinois workers’ compensation if they are hurt while working. That can include medical treatment, TTD checks, TPD benefits, maintenance, vocational rehabilitation, permanent…

By Matthew C. Jones, Chicago workers’ compensation attorney at McHargue & Jones. Quick answer: In many Illinois workers’ compensation cases, you may be able to record an IME if it is done properly, with notice, and without interfering with the examination. You should not secretly record the IME doctor. You also should not assume that…

Quick answer: In an Illinois workers’ compensation case, the insurance company can usually get medical records that are relevant to your work injury. That may include records about the injured body part, prior treatment, diagnostic tests, surgeries, prescriptions, restrictions, and conditions that could relate to the claim. But that does not mean the insurance company…

Quick answer: McHargue & Jones won a Section 19(b) Illinois workers’ compensation trial against Procter & Gamble, Greater Chicago Fulfillment Center, after workers’ comp refused to approve arthroscopic right knee surgery for a warehouse automation technician. The arbitrator found that the worker’s right knee condition was causally related to the work accident and ordered Procter…

By Workers’ Compensation Attorney, Matthew C. Jones Quick answer: In most Illinois workers’ compensation cases, you are not required by law to give a recorded statement to the workers’ comp insurance adjuster. You should usually politely decline until you speak with a lawyer. That does not mean you should hide the injury, fail to report…

By Workers’ Compensation Lawyer, Matthew C. Jones Quick answer: In most Illinois workers’ compensation cases, you do not have to talk to a workers’ comp nurse case manager, let the nurse come into your doctor appointment, or let the nurse speak privately with your doctor. A nurse case manager can sometimes help coordinate medical care,…

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…

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. Get the…

Updated June 7, 2026 by Matthew Jones, Illinois Workers’ Compensation Lawyer McHargue & Jones, LLC 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,…