Suffering a workplace injury can disrupt every part of your life. Medical bills, missed paychecks, insurance paperwork, and pressure from your employer can all add stress when you should be focused on healing. While Illinois workers’ compensation benefits are meant to help injured workers, the process is often far more difficult than people expect. That’s…
You did the right thing by reporting your work injury and filing for workers’ compensation — but now your claim has been denied, disputed, or your employer refuses to file it at all. You’re hurt, bills are piling up, and you’re wondering: “Can they really do this? What do I do now?” In Illinois, insurance…
Repetitive strain injuries — also known as repetitive trauma, cumulative trauma, repetitive motion injuries, or repetitive stress injuries — are some of the most misunderstood claims in Illinois workers’ compensation. These injuries develop gradually, not from one accident. Workers who type all day… grip tools… use vibrating equipment… rotate through repetitive assembly tasks… or clean,…
Every holiday season, Chicago and the surrounding Chicagoland suburbs experience a sharp increase in commercial truck and delivery vehicle traffic, driven largely by peak demand from Amazon, UPS, FedEx, and other logistics companies. As delivery volumes surge, delivery drivers, truck drivers, and warehouse workers face longer shifts, tighter deadlines, winter weather, and heavier congestion on…
Are you a remote or WFH worker in Illinois who suffered an injury while working? The law in Illinois has expanded to cover a wide range of injuries and accidents involving remote or WFH workers. If you believe that your injury is not covered because it happened outside of your immediate workplace, or if your…
If you were hurt at work in Illinois, filing a workers’ compensation claim can feel overwhelming. Medical bills pile up quickly, paychecks stop, and insurance adjusters may already be asking questions. Illinois law does provide strong protections for injured workers — but only if you follow the right steps, meet strict deadlines, and document everything…
If you were injured at work in Illinois, you may be wondering: “When should I hire a workers’ comp attorney?” Illinois workers’ comp law caps attorney fees at 20%, and that fee is exactly the same whether you hire us: The day after your accident After treatment After a denial After an IME Right before…
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?…
Repetitive stress injuries happen quietly. You don’t fall, slip, or get crushed by machinery — instead, your body breaks down from lifting, bending, typing, kneeling, scanning, pulling, twisting, or standing for years. Many Illinois workers aren’t sure whether these injuries qualify as workers’ comp claims. The answer is: often, yes — but the insurance company…
The holiday season is the busiest time of year for many industries, including retail, warehousing, delivery, and manufacturing. As workloads increase and winter conditions create additional hazards, workers face a higher risk of injury on the job. Importantly, seasonal and holiday employees have the same rights to workers’ compensation benefits as full-time employees under the…
Construction work is consistently ranked among the most dangerous occupations in the United States, and Chicago construction workers face serious risks every day on job sites throughout the city and surrounding suburbs. Each year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that construction accidents remain among the most frequent and severe workplace injuries nationwide….
Did your employer refuse to report your work injury, change the story, or pressure you to say it happened at home? In Illinois, you may still have a valid workers’ compensation case. This guide explains what to do next — and how the workers’ comp lawyers at McHargue & Jones can protect your benefits with…
Having a pre-existing condition does not automatically disqualify you from workers’ compensation benefits in Illinois. If a work accident or job duties aggravated, accelerated, or worsened an underlying condition, you may still be entitled to medical treatment, temporary total disability (TTD) benefits, permanent disability benefits, and even surgery. These cases are common—and frequently denied—but many…
Do you need a workers’ compensation attorney in Illinois? Most Illinois workers assume that if they get hurt on the job, workers’ compensation will automatically cover their medical bills, lost wages, and any permanent injury. Unfortunately, that isn’t how the system works. While Illinois law requires almost all employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance, the…
