I'll never forget being nine years old when my father, a truck driver and Teamster, was seriously hurt at work. He was still a young man. That injury took everything from him — his ability to work, his livelihood, his sense of who he was. His case dragged on for years, and at the end of it his own lawyer went after him for more fees. That's the day I knew what I was going to do with my life.
That's why I represent injured workers in Chicago. For almost 30 years I've made sure that what happened to my father never happens to the people who hire me. A shoulder injury sounds "minor" to an insurance adjuster who has never torn a rotator cuff — but you know the truth. If you can't lift, reach overhead, or sleep through the night, you can't do your job, and that changes everything for your family.
Here's my promise: no money out of pocket. Zero. You don't pay me a fee unless I win, and Illinois caps workers' compensation attorney fees at 20%, so you always know exactly where you stand. I'm available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, because a hurt shoulder doesn't wait for business hours and neither should your lawyer.
I'm a graduate of Gerry Spence's Trial Lawyers College and the Keenan Trial Institute — training that very few lawyers ever complete. I did it for one reason: so the people I represent get the very best fight possible. Your fight is my fight.
Checklist (keep the 4 checkmark items — new text):
Button: CALL NOW: 312-500-4500
A shoulder injury can end a career. Your shoulder is the most mobile joint in your body, and that mobility is exactly what makes it easy to damage and hard to fully repair. Once the rotator cuff or labrum is torn, the arm you use for nearly every task at work — lifting, carrying, reaching, pulling — may never be the same.
The people who get hurt are the people who do the physical work that keeps Chicago running. Warehouse and dock workers. Machinists and assembly-line workers. Nurses and CNAs lifting patients. Electricians and drywall crews working overhead. Grocery and stockroom workers. Drivers loading and unloading all day. If your job puts your shoulder under strain, your shoulder is at risk.
Here's what the insurance company does with a shoulder claim:
That's why you need a work injury lawyer who knows shoulders. Someone who has handled these cases for almost 30 years, works with the right doctors, and is willing to take the insurer to a hearing when they won't be fair.
Types of shoulder injuries (replaces "Types of Auto Accidents We Handle")
Between heavy lifting, repetitive overhead work, slips on wet or icy surfaces, and machinery, work-related shoulder injuries take a lot of forms. I've represented workers with every one of these.
The most common serious work shoulder injury. The rotator cuff is the group of muscles and tendons that hold your shoulder together and let you lift and rotate your arm. A tear can happen in one violent moment — a fall, a heavy lift, catching yourself — or wear through over years of overhead work. Many need surgery followed by months of physical therapy.
The labrum is the ring of cartilage that keeps the ball of your shoulder in its socket. Tears cause deep pain, catching, and a feeling that the shoulder is going to give out. They're common in workers who lift overhead or brace themselves during a fall, and they're frequently missed on a first exam.
When the shoulder is forced out of the joint — usually in a fall or a hard impact at work — the damage often goes beyond the moment. A first dislocation makes future ones more likely and can stretch or tear the surrounding tissue.
Breaks of the collarbone (clavicle) or upper arm bone (humerus) from falls, being struck by equipment, or being caught in machinery. These can require plates, screws, and long recoveries.
Painful inflammation and pinching from repetitive reaching and lifting. Insurers love to dismiss these as minor, but they can keep you off the job for months and turn into full tears if they aren't treated.
Sometimes a consequence of the original injury or of being immobilized during recovery. The joint stiffens until you can barely move it, and getting the motion back is slow, painful work.
Common ways Chicago workers hurt their shoulders:
Illinois law section (replaces "Why Illinois Auto Accident Law Matters")
Illinois workers' compensation is a no-fault system. That's good news for you: you do NOT have to prove your employer did anything wrong. You only have to show that your shoulder injury arose out of and in the course of your work. That means a sudden injury on the clock AND an injury that built up over time from the demands of the job.
What workers' comp is supposed to pay for:
Sounds simple. It isn't. The insurance company controls the money and fights you at every step — disputing whether the injury is work-related, delaying the surgery, and lowballing the permanency rating. That's where I come in.
Notice to your employer: Report your shoulder injury as soon as possible — and in writing within 45 days. Waiting is one of the first things an insurer uses to deny a claim.
Filing your claim: You generally have 3 years from the date of injury, or 2 years from your last payment of benefits, whichever is later, to file with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission.
Repetitive injuries: For a shoulder that wore down over time, the clock usually starts when you knew — or should have known — that the injury was connected to your work.
Third-party claims: If someone other than your employer caused your injury, a separate personal injury claim carries its own 2-year deadline.
Don't try to time these yourself. Call me and I'll make sure every deadline is protected.
How I build your claim (replaces "How I Establish Negligence")
[H3] How I Prove Your Shoulder Claim
Because workers' comp is no-fault, the fight usually isn't about blame — it's about proving your shoulder injury is real, work-related, and permanent. Here's how I do it.
1. Connect the injury to your job. I document exactly how your shoulder was hurt — the fall, the lift, or the years of overhead work — and tie it to your job duties and history.
2. Get you to the right doctor. In Illinois you're entitled to choose your treating physician. I help you get to a specialist who takes your shoulder seriously, because their records drive your case.
3. Secure the right diagnostics. Shoulder injuries are frequently missed on a first exam. I push for the MRI or other imaging that actually shows the tear.
4. Fight for the treatment you need. When the insurer delays or denies surgery or therapy, I take the dispute to the Commission.
5. Protect the permanency rating. After you reach maximum medical improvement, the impairment rating decides much of your award. I fight for a fair, well-supported number instead of the insurer's lowball.
6. Look for a third-party case. If a negligent contractor, a property owner, or defective equipment played a role, I pursue that separate claim too — for damages workers' comp alone doesn't cover.
Medical benefits:
Wage benefits:
Permanency and long-term benefits:
If you also have a third-party claim, you may be able to recover damages workers' comp does not pay — including full pain and suffering.
When I was nine, my father's work injury changed my family's life. I've spent my career making sure injured workers are treated the way he should have been. Over almost 30 years I've represented thousands of injured people and recovered millions of dollars in benefits and settlements for Illinois workers and their families.
Real experience where it counts:
Every case is different, and no lawyer can promise a specific outcome. What I can promise is that I'll fight for the full value of what happened to you and give you an honest assessment from day one.
Replaces the old block that listed specific dollar settlement amounts and verdict/arbitration counts — those aren't content-compliant and are gone.
Find Out What YOUR Case Might Be Worth...for free.
Rotator cuff tears, labrum (SLAP) tears, dislocations and separations, fractures of the clavicle or humerus, impingement syndrome, bursitis, tendinitis, and frozen shoulder all qualify if they're connected to your work. It doesn't matter whether the injury came from one bad moment — a fall, a lift, being struck by equipment — or built up over months of repetitive overhead work. Illinois workers' comp covers both. If your shoulder got hurt because of your job, call me at 312-500-4500.
If your job caused it or made it worse, it counts. That includes sudden injuries on the clock and repetitive-trauma injuries that develop over time from lifting, reaching, or overhead work. You don't have to prove your employer did anything wrong — Illinois workers' comp is no-fault. What matters is the connection between your work and your shoulder. I gather the medical evidence and job history that proves that connection.
Full payment of your medical treatment, including surgery, injections, and physical therapy; temporary total disability pay while you're off work recovering; permanent partial disability based on how much use of the shoulder you've permanently lost; and vocational rehabilitation or a wage-differential award if you can't go back to your old job. In the most serious cases, permanent total disability may apply. I make sure every category you're owed is on the table.
Report the injury to your employer as soon as you can, and in writing within 45 days — waiting can be used to deny your claim. To file your workers' compensation claim with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission, you generally have 3 years from the date of injury, or 2 years from your last payment of benefits, whichever is later. For repetitive injuries, the clock usually starts when you knew the injury was work-related. Don't guess on deadlines — call me and I'll protect them.
Yes. Under Illinois law you're entitled to two choices of doctor, plus anyone they refer you to. Your employer or its insurer may push you toward their preferred physician — you don't have to accept that as your only option. Seeing a doctor who takes your shoulder seriously matters, because their records drive the value of your case. I help you get to the right specialist.
Yes. These are called repetitive-trauma or cumulative-trauma claims, and they're fully covered in Illinois. Rotator cuff and impingement injuries from years of reaching, lifting, or working overhead are some of the most common shoulder claims I see. Insurers love to argue this kind of injury is just “age” or “wear and tear.” I work with doctors who connect the damage to the demands of your job.
If your claim is accepted, workers' comp pays for the surgery and all related care. A rotator cuff repair commonly means several months of restricted duty and physical therapy before you reach maximum medical improvement. Some shoulders never fully recover — you may be left with permanent limits on lifting or reaching overhead. I make sure your settlement reflects the full, permanent picture, not just the weeks right after surgery.
After you finish treatment, a doctor assigns a rating for how much permanent use of the shoulder you've lost. That percentage drives a large part of your permanent partial disability award. The difference between a low rating and an accurate one is significant, so insurers push for the lowest number they can get. I fight for a fair, well-supported rating on every shoulder case.
No. Illinois law makes it illegal to retaliate against you for filing a workers' compensation claim. If your employer fires you, demotes you, or punishes you for reporting a work injury, you may have a separate retaliatory-discharge claim against them on top of your comp case. Tell me if anything like that happens.
You have options. Illinois workers' comp can provide vocational rehabilitation to retrain you, a wage-differential award that pays the gap between your old pay and what you can earn now, or permanent total disability benefits if you can't return to any regular work. Which one fits depends on your restrictions and your line of work — I'll walk you through it honestly.
Sometimes, yes. If someone other than your employer helped cause your injury — a negligent contractor on the site, a property owner, or the maker of defective equipment or a machine that failed — you may have a separate third-party personal injury claim in addition to workers' comp. Those claims can reach damages workers' comp doesn't cover, like full pain and suffering. I look for every responsible party.
No. Your right to workers' compensation for a work injury in Illinois does not depend on your immigration status, and I keep every case strictly confidential. If you were hurt on the job here, you have the right to benefits. Don't let fear stop you from getting the care and pay you're owed.
A denial is not the end. Denials are common, and many of them are wrong. I take disputes to hearing before an arbitrator at the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission and fight to overturn them. Insurers count on people giving up after a denial — don't. Call me and let me look at why they denied it.
Nothing up front, and nothing unless I win. I work on contingency, and Illinois law caps workers' compensation attorney fees at 20% of your award — so you always know exactly what the fee is. I also advance the costs of building your case. If we don't recover, you don't owe me a fee.
Hiring Scott was one of the best moves I have made in my life. Scott is a down to earth person and attorney. Scott is a 5 star first class act who really knows his stuff. The Judge said his presentation was one of if not the best he had ever seen. Take my advice, hire Scott I’m sure you’ll be 200% satisfied I was.
Scott not only cares about the case, but he truly cares about his clients and that makes him the best lawyer I have ever met and hired! He won my case! He is thorough in everything he does. I highly recommend Scott, and will always refer him to family and friends.
I hired Scott DeSalvo upon a friend’s recommendation. His office kept me informed of developments as they happened, and I felt the settlement reached was fair considering my injuries. I would highly recommend Scott DeSalvo to represent your personal injury case.
It depends on your treatment and whether the insurer disputes anything. Straightforward claims can resolve in several months to a year once you've reached maximum medical improvement; disputed cases or ones involving surgery can take longer. I never rush you to settle before your shoulder has stabilized, because settling early almost always leaves money — and future care — on the table.
I represent workers with shoulder injuries throughout Chicago and the greater Chicagoland area — no matter where you were hurt on the job.
Illinois gives you a limited window to protect your rights — and the insurance company is already working against you. Report deadlines are short, evidence and witnesses fade, and the sooner I'm involved the sooner I can make sure your treatment and your checks are protected.
Remember my promise: No money out of pocket. No fee unless we win. Available 24/7/365.
Contact Chicago work injury attorney Scott DeSalvo today at 312-500-4500.
Firm info (footer — verify, do NOT use any old address)
Main Office: 1000 Jorie Blvd Ste 204, Oak Brook, IL 60523
Chicago Office: 205 W Randolph St Ste 1410, Chicago, IL 60606 (by appointment)
New Cases: 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
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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
