By Illinois Workers’ Compensation Attorney Matthew C. Jones If you injured your elbow at work in Illinois, the value of your workers’ compensation case depends on more than the diagnosis. A minor elbow strain that heals with therapy is very different from a fractured elbow requiring surgery, cubital tunnel syndrome with nerve symptoms, tennis elbow…
If you were hurt at work and are thinking about quitting your job, you need to be careful. In Illinois, you can legally quit your job while you have a workers’ compensation claim. No one can force you to keep working for an employer you want to leave.But quitting while you are on workers’ comp…
If your employer or the insurance company says you have to resign or quit your job to settle your workers’ compensation case, do not sign anything until you understand what is happening. In Illinois, there is an important difference between being fired or punished for filing a workers’ comp claim and an employer refusing to…
If you were hurt while working for Southwest Airlines, your workers’ compensation case may involve more than simply reporting the injury and waiting for benefits. Southwest Airlines workers’ comp claims in Illinois can involve Sedgwick, IMEs, impairment ratings, back injuries, flight attendant jurisdiction issues, settlement disputes, and questions about whether the case should settle or…
If you are a flight attendant, your workers’ compensation case may not be limited to the state where you live or the state where the injury happened. Airline workers travel constantly. They work in the air, in airports, on layovers, in hotels, on shuttle buses, and across state lines. That creates a major question after…
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…
