Rockdale Personal Injury Attorney Asks:
Did You Get Injured?
Call The Rockdale Personal Injury Attorney ANY TIME!
312-500-4500
"My Injury Guy" Scott DeSalvo
Trial-Trained Injury Attorney for Rockdale & Will County
Rockdale is a small village with a big industrial footprint. It sits along the Des Plaines River just west of Joliet, with I-80 running past and large plants and warehouses in and around town. The former Caterpillar hydraulics plant here covers nearly 1.5 million square feet by itself.
That means most of the people who call me from Rockdale weren't hurt in a fender-bender. They were hurt at work, or in a crash with the truck traffic that serves the area's industry. Crashes inside the village itself are rare. IDOT counted only seven in 2022. The interstate and the industrial roads around it are another story.
Here's what most people don't know: many injured workers stay quiet because they're afraid of losing their jobs. In Illinois, it's against the law to fire or punish you for filing a workers' compensation claim.
I've represented injured workers and crash victims for almost 30 years. I live in Homer Glen and handle cases all over Will County.
No money out of pocket. Zero. No fee unless we win. Call me any time, day or night: 312-500-4500.
When I was nine, my dad, a Teamster truck driver, was hurt on the job. He never fully recovered. His comp case dragged on for seventeen years, and at the end his own lawyer sued him for more fees.
I know what a work injury does to a family's paycheck and peace of mind. That's why I take these cases personally.
Free. Not legal advice, and no attorney-client relationship is created by this chat. Prefer to talk? Call (312) 500-4500, answered 24/7.
Manufacturing, warehousing, and freight work bring serious hazards: machinery without proper guards, forklifts, falling loads, chemical exposure, and long shifts that wear people down. When safety rules get skipped, the injuries are rarely minor.
IDOT's multi-year rebuild of I-80 through the Joliet area has meant lane shifts, closures, and work zones right at Rockdale's doorstep. Mix that with semis heading to and from industrial sites, and crashes get more serious.
Illinois law makes it illegal for an employer to fire, threaten, or punish you for filing a workers' comp claim (820 ILCS 305/4(h)). The Illinois Supreme Court recognized a lawsuit for retaliatory discharge back in 1978, in Kelsay v. Motorola. If you were fired after reporting an injury, that may be its own case.
Workers' comp is usually your only claim against your own employer. But if another company caused your injury, like an equipment maker, a contractor, or a trucking company, you may have a separate personal injury case.
Bottom Line: A Rockdale work injury can involve comp, a third-party case, and even a retaliation claim. Each one needs attention.
Machine, forklift, fall, and lifting injuries at plants and warehouses. I handle the comp claim from start to finish. See my workers' compensation lawyer page.
Crush injuries, burns, amputations, and chemical exposure at industrial sites. See my industrial accident lawyer page.
When a contractor, equipment maker, or another company caused your injury, you may have a full injury case on top of comp. See my injured by someone else at work lawyer page.
Crashes with semis on I-80 and around the industrial corridor. I lock down logs and video fast. See my truck accident lawyer page.
Work-zone crashes and intersection crashes around Rockdale and Joliet. See my Joliet car accident lawyer page.
When a workplace accident or crash takes a loved one, your family may have claims beyond workers' comp. See my wrongful death lawyer page.
Depending on what happened, responsibility can fall on:
Picture this. You run a press at a plant near Rockdale. The machine's guard was removed months ago by a maintenance contractor and never replaced. Your hand gets caught. Workers' comp pays for your surgery and part of your wages. The contractor who removed the guard, and possibly the company that made the machine, can be held responsible for the rest.
Look, in a work injury the pushback can come from your employer and from insurance companies at the same time:
Here's what most lawyers won't tell you: many firms handle the comp claim and never check whether a machine was defective or another company was at fault. That's often where the largest recovery is.
Bottom Line: Look at every claim, not just the obvious one.
Most cases settle, and that's the goal. You want fair compensation without a long fight.
Insurers and defense firms settle faster and for more when they know your lawyer is ready to try the case. I'm a graduate of Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College and the exclusive Keenan Trial Institute, and I've invested more than $100,000 in trial training. I've tried more than 30 jury trials and handled more than 100 arbitrations.
You pay nothing to start. Illinois sets workers' comp fees at 20%, and in injury cases I'm paid only if I recover money for you. Details are in the FAQ.
Workers' comp pays your medical bills, about two-thirds of your average weekly wage while you're off work, and a payment for permanent injury. A third-party case can add:
A retaliation claim can add lost pay and other damages if you were fired for reporting.
Find Out What YOUR Case Might Be Worth...for free.
Call me for a free conversation. I'll explain your options for comp, a third-party case, and anything else that applies.
If you hire me, I file your claims and start investigating while you focus on recovery. Most cases settle. If not, I'll take your case to the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission or the Circuit Court of Will County. My fee comes out of what I recover for you.
Hurt in Rockdale? Call me now, day or night: 312-500-4500.
Evidence fades fast, and the insurance company has already started working on your claim. Call me for a free consultation, 24/7/365. No money out of pocket. No fee unless we win.
I represent injured people in Rockdale and nearby Joliet, Shorewood, Channahon, Crest Hill, Elwood, and throughout Will County.
Nearest office: The Law Office of Scott D. DeSalvo, LLC, 116 N Chicago St, Suite 301 - Kendall, Joliet, IL 60432, just a few minutes from Rockdale. Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., and by appointment.
Call me now: 312-500-4500
Nothing up front. Illinois law caps workers' compensation attorney fees at 20% of the recovery. For personal injury cases against third parties, my fee is 33⅓%, or 40% if we file a lawsuit. I advance the costs of your case, and if we don't win, you don't owe me a fee. The consultation is free, and you can call 24/7/365 at 312-500-4500.
No. Illinois law prohibits employers from firing, threatening, or retaliating against an employee for exercising workers' compensation rights (820 ILCS 305/4(h)), and the Illinois Supreme Court recognized a lawsuit for retaliatory discharge in Kelsay v. Motorola (1978). Proving retaliation can take work, because employers usually give another reason. Timing, past performance reviews, and what supervisors said all matter. If you were fired or disciplined after reporting an injury, talk to a lawyer quickly.
Possibly. If a machine was defectively designed, built without proper safety guards, or sold without adequate warnings, the manufacturer can be responsible in a product liability case. That case is separate from workers' comp and can recover pain and suffering and full lost wages. It's important to preserve the machine and any records about it. Tell your employer in writing not to repair, alter, or discard the equipment, and talk to a lawyer before evidence is lost.
Report a work injury to your employer within 45 days. A workers' compensation claim generally must be filed within three years of the injury, or two years after your last benefit payment, whichever is later. Personal injury and product liability claims usually have a two-year deadline (735 ILCS 5/13-202). Retaliation claims have their own time limits. Because several deadlines may run at once, it's best to talk to a lawyer early.
Workers' compensation claims go to the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission, which holds hearings in locations across the state, including near Joliet. A personal injury lawsuit from Rockdale would usually be filed in the Circuit Court of Will County at 100 W. Jefferson Street in Joliet. Most cases settle without a trial, and I handle the hearings and court work for you.
Yes. My nearest office is in downtown Joliet at 116 N. Chicago St., just a few minutes from Rockdale, and my main office is in Oak Brook. I can also meet at your home, at the hospital, or by phone or video.
Scott DeSalvo founded DeSalvo Law to help injured people throughout Chicago and surrounding suburbs. Licensed to practice law in Illinois since 1998, IARDC #6244452, Scott has represented over 3,000 clients in personal injury, workers compensation, and accident cases.
No Fee Unless You Win | Free Consultation | 24/7 Availability Call or Text: (312) 500-4500
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