By Illinois Workers’ Compensation Attorney Matthew C. Jones Many Illinois police officers, sheriff’s deputies, correctional officers, jail staff, state troopers, and other law enforcement employees may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits when they are injured in the line of duty. These claims can involve obvious traumatic events, such as shootings, inmate attacks, violent arrests,…
Quick answer: You can win an Illinois workers’ compensation case if the evidence proves that your injury is work-related, you gave proper notice, and the medical records support the benefits you are asking for. Illinois workers’ compensation is generally a no-fault system, which means you usually do not have to prove your employer did something…
By Illinois Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Matthew C. Jones If you were hurt at work in Illinois and your doctor has you off work, one of the first questions is usually simple: when do I get paid from workers’ comp? The short answer is that Illinois workers’ compensation has a short waiting period before wage benefits…
By Illinois Workers’ Compensation Attorney Matthew C. JonesIf 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 that…
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…
