Workers’ Comp Attorney Chicago

Workers’ Comp Attorney Chicago

Unless you are among the wealthiest people, then employment is a necessary prerequisite to financial stability, but an injury, even a relatively minor one, can easily throw your financial plans off course. Even if you have employer-provided health insurance, the medical bills can follow you around long after you have recovered to the point where you can return to your job. Employers have a legal responsibility to pay for the medical bills that arise when an employee gets injured in the workplace during working hours. Getting your employer to pay your workers’ compensation claim is supposed to be simple, but employers and their insurance companies are not exactly generous when it comes to paying workers’ compensation claims. The Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers at Saks, Robinson, and Rittenberg can help you get the medical treatment and other benefits to which you are entitled after a work injury.

The Responsibilities of the Employer in a Workers’ Compensation Case

Illinois law requires employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance to cover injuries incurred by their employees during the course and scope of their work. An employee need not prove that the injury was a result of the employer’s negligence; workers’ compensation insurance is much more like health insurance and less like liability insurance. The employer’s workers’ compensation insurance must pay for all the treatment associated with a work-related injury. This can include hospitalization, surgeries, outpatient doctor’s office visits, medical devices, pharmaceutical drugs, and physical therapy. Workers’ compensation insurance must cover not only traumatic injuries resulting from accidents, but also repetitive strain injuries (such as carpal tunnel syndrome) and occupational diseases; the law recognizes certain chronic illnesses as an inherent risk of certain occupations.

When an employer files a workers’ compensation claim for a serious injury that will render the employee unable to perform his or her job tasks, the law may require the employer to pay the employee temporary or permanent disability benefits. If the employee requires disability accommodations after returning to work, the employer must provide these. If the employee requires a less physically demanding job after the injury, the employer must assist with training and job placement.

The Responsibilities of the Employee in a Workers’ Compensation Case

If you plan to file a workers’ compensation claim, you should report the injury to your employer promptly. You must visit the doctors to whom your employer’s insurance directs you; your options for requesting second opinions and changes of physicians are somewhat limited.

Where is There Room for Disagreement in Workers’ Compensation Cases

Workers’ comp disputes are fairly common. You may disagree with the workers’ comp doctor about which of your symptoms are the result of the work injury and which are due to pre-existing medical conditions. You may also disagree about the best course of treatment.  In some cases, there may be ambiguity about which employer is responsible for covering your claim.

Contact a Chicago Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

A Cook County workers’ compensation lawyer can help you if you have suffered a serious injury in a work accident.  Contact Saks, Robinson & Rittenberg, Ltd. in Chicago, Illinois, to set up a consultation.