Hanover Park is a hardworking community. The workers here — in the warehouses off Lake Street, the manufacturing plants near the Elgin-O'Hare Expressway, the restaurants and retail stores along Irving Park Road — show up every day and do physically demanding work to support their families. When they get hurt on the job, they deserve to be treated with respect and to receive the benefits the law guarantees them. Too often, that's not what happens.
I've been handling workers' comp cases for close to 30 years, and the stories I hear from Hanover Park workers are frustratingly familiar. The employer acts sympathetic at first, says they'll take care of everything, and then quietly fights the claim behind the scenes. The insurance company assigns a nurse case manager who shows up at your doctor's appointments and pressures your physician to clear you for work before you're ready. The company offers you a "light duty" position that doesn't actually accommodate your restrictions — they just want you back on the clock so they can stop paying your TTD benefits.
Let me address each of these situations because I see them constantly.
The fake sympathy play. Your boss says, "Don't worry, we'll take care of you." What they mean is, "We'll file the minimum paperwork and then hope you don't hire a lawyer." Meanwhile, the insurance company is building a case to deny or minimize your claim from day one. They're pulling your prior medical records looking for pre-existing conditions they can blame. They're scheduling an IME with a doctor who will say there's nothing wrong with you. They're monitoring your social media for photos of you looking anything other than miserable. While your employer is telling you everything's fine, the insurance company is sharpening their knives.
The nurse case manager problem. In Illinois, the insurance company has the right to assign a nurse case manager to your case. The NCM's job is supposed to be coordinating your medical care, but in practice, their job is to limit your treatment and get you back to work as fast as possible. They'll attend your doctor's appointments, sit in the exam room, and make your doctor uncomfortable. They'll call your doctor's office between visits and push for restrictions to be lifted. Here's what you need to know: you do NOT have to let the nurse case manager sit in on your appointments. You can tell them to wait in the lobby. I recommend this to almost every one of my clients because the dynamic changes completely when that insurance company representative is in the room with you and your doctor.
The light duty trap. Your employer offers you a "light duty" job to get you back on the payroll and cut off your TTD benefits. Sometimes the light duty is legitimate and falls within your doctor's restrictions. Other times it's a sham — they bring you back, sit you in a corner, and have you do busy work that doesn't actually exist as a real job. Or worse, they bring you back on "light duty" and then have you doing your regular job because they're short-staffed. If the light duty violates your doctor's restrictions, you have the right to refuse it and continue receiving TTD. Document everything and call your lawyer.
Hanover Park workers deserve better than this. If you've been hurt on the job and the employer or insurance company is giving you the runaround, call us at 312-500-4500. We're in Oak Brook, just a short drive down the Elgin-O'Hare, and we'll make sure nobody pushes you around.
At The Law Office of Scott D. DeSalvo, LLC, we understand the discomfort and monetary difficulty that occurs when an individual is seriously hurt and can not work. When you hire us to represent you in your Workers' Comp case in Hanover Park, IL or close-by locations, we will aim to guarantee that you get all of the benefits allowed under the law. Our top priority is helping you and making sure you recuperate from your injuries and get you all of the benefits allowed under the law.
We offer top notch legal representation to customers seeking compensation for on-the-job injuries in Hanover Park, IL through the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission (formerly known as the Illinois Industrial Commission). We also assist people in auto accident, fall downs, dog bites, nursing home abuse, or in any way they have been harmed.
We represent people who are employed in every kind of job. We help individuals in education, retail workers, construction workers, truck drivers, taxi and Uber drivers and factory workers. If they got hurt at work, we help anybody employed in Illinois. ONLY when we win your case are legal charges paid. There is no out of pocket payment to the lawyer. The charge is generally set by law at 20% of what we win for you. You need to have an attorney in your corner to help you receive the maximum benefits, as quickly as possible.
Find Out What YOUR Case Might Be Worth...for free.
Employers are required to have Workers Compensation insurance to cover their injured employees. If an employee is injured while working, then they are entitled to get benefits under the Workers Compensation Act.
If you can not go back to your old job because of your injuries, Illinois Workers' Comp might also force them to pay to retrain you to do a different job. Then, benefits are cut off as soon as you have a new job and are getting paid. If you make a lot less at your new job, you might be entitled to a "Wage Differential" Award. This pays you a portion of the difference between your old rate of pay and your brand-new rate of pay.
If your physician decides that you can no longer work carrying out any kind of work resulting in paid employment due to your Hanover Park, IL work injury, then you would get irreversible impairment benefits.
Even if an employer offers Workers' Compensation Insurance, this does not imply that you instantly get benefits. Workers Comp insurers wish to delay and reject claims to save cash. This gives them larger revenues. That's why I tell people who got hurt at work to talk to an experienced Workers Comp lawyer after any work injury.
There are many techniques an employer can use to combat a Workers Comp Case in Hanover Park, IL. If an employer tries to reject a Workers' Compensation claim then the injured worker ought to speak with a lawyer right away. A lawyer can get your expenses and corresponding benefits paid rapidly if there is no legitimate defense. By yourself, you will probably be at their mercy.
In some cases, an employee is "On the Clock" but gets hurt by somebody else. Examples consist of a delivery driver whose truck is struck by another driver, or a worker who is injured by someone who is not employed by the same company. It is called a "Third Party Case" and you still get Workers Comp benefits.
Firstly, you should know that if you got hurt on the job in Hanover Park, IL, you are probably covered under Workers Comp. To understand your workers' compensation rights, you should know that state laws manage your claim. In Illinois, employers are required to cover their employees with workers' compensation insurance. According to the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission (IWCC), roughly 91% of Illinois employees are covered under the state's Workers' Compensation Act.
Injured workers in Hanover Park, IL are almost always covered in Illinois. It is crucial to note that there are some scenarios where an employee is not qualified for workers' comp benefits, consisting of:
In most circumstances, benefits ought to be offered in case of an injury. It is rather unusual for an employee to not be eligible for Workers Comp benefits. The law likewise sets out the duties and responsibilities of an injured worker and the employer. These consist of the "45 Day Rule" which means that an injured worker should report their injuries within 45 days after the injury. There are a great deal of rules of the sort, so having a lawyer in your corner is the ideal move.
You must inform your employer by means of a supervisor or member of the management team about the mishap and/or injury. Sometimes an employee does not want to make a big deal about it, or they feel embarrassed. If you do not let them know, you might lose your case.
When you hire a Hanover Park, IL Workers Comp Lawyer, she or he will explain what you have to do. Your lawyer will protect all the due dates and requirements so you can focus on getting much better and healing
You have 3 years to submit your case with the Commission. Your lawyer will fill out all of the paperwork. Your lawyer will file it appropriately, and make sure the employer and their insurance company are alerted.
It is essential for us to wait to know what your injuries are in their entirety and to see if you are getting better. We would not want to settle your case without understanding all of your injuries.
In lots of cases, the Workers Comp insurance sends you to their doctor. The Company Doctor normally provides the Workers Comp insurance one of the following factors to fight your case:
This is the number one reason why I tell people to work with a Hanover Park, IL Workers Comp Lawyer early on in the process. An excellent lawyer will be able to see if they are getting ready to cut off your benefits and reject your claim.
Hanover Park has a strong mix of warehouse, manufacturing, retail, and food service jobs. We see a lot of back injuries from lifting in warehouses along the Elgin-O'Hare corridor, repetitive stress injuries from assembly and packaging work, slip-and-fall injuries in restaurants and retail stores, and injuries from operating heavy machinery and forklifts. All of these injuries are covered by Illinois workers' compensation, no matter who was at fault.
Every employer in Illinois is required by law to carry workers' compensation insurance. If your employer doesn't have it, they're breaking the law, and they lose their legal protections — meaning you can sue them directly in civil court for your full damages, including pain and suffering, which workers' comp normally doesn't cover. You can also file a claim with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission's Injured Workers' Benefit Fund, which can provide benefits while the legal process plays out. Call a lawyer at 312-500-4500 immediately.
Probably not, but the sooner you report, the better. Illinois law gives you 45 days from the date of injury to notify your employer, and you have three years from the date of injury to file a claim with the Workers' Compensation Commission. However, every day you wait weakens your case because the insurance company will argue that if you were really hurt, you would have reported immediately. Report the injury now, see a doctor today, and call a workers' comp lawyer to protect your rights.
Absolutely. Repetitive trauma injuries — carpal tunnel syndrome, rotator cuff tears, tendinitis, degenerative disc disease caused by years of physical labor — are compensable under Illinois workers' compensation law. You don't need a single dramatic accident. If your job duties caused your condition to develop or worsen over time, that's a valid claim. The insurance company will fight these cases harder, but we've been winning them for close to 30 years.
It depends on the severity of your injury, the body part affected, and your average weekly wage. Minor injuries that resolve with physical therapy might settle for $15,000 to $40,000. Moderate injuries requiring injections or extended treatment could be worth $40,000 to $100,000. Serious injuries requiring surgery can be worth $100,000 to $300,000 or more. If your injury prevents you from returning to your previous job, a wage differential award could be worth significantly more. Call 312-500-4500 for a free evaluation.
Call us at The Law Office of Scott D. DeSalvo, LLC if you're looking for the best Hanover Park, IL Workers Comp Lawyer. Workers Comp lawyer Scott DeSalvo is here to assist you. We can make sure you get paid, your medical bills get paid, and that the entire procedure is smooth.
The assessment is free. And we only make money until AFTER we get you paid. We never ask for cash out of your pocket. Give us a call any time night or day at 312-500-4500.
Would you like to know more about workers' comp lawyer chicago? Click Here
If you or a loved one is dealing with a situation like this, give us a call any time, day or night. We are here to help. 312-500-4500
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
>>Read More
Main Office:
1000 Jorie Blvd Ste 204
Oak Brook, IL 60523
New Cases: 312-500-4500
Office: 312-895-0545
Fax: 866-629-1817
service@desalvolaw.com
Chicago and Other Suburban Offices
By Appointment Only
