A caller to my office had a really good question about a very frustrating scenario he was in. He is an industrial painter and does a lot of overhead lifting and work in general.  One day, he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder while bringing down some items from a scaffold.  This was witnessed, and nobody disputes that he was hurt at work.  All of his time off has been paid, as have his…

Illinois work comp law is pretty worker friendly, but not every injury that happens while you are working is a case.  For example, if you are walking down the hallway and your leg buckles for no reason or if you faint, it’s typically not a claim because nothing about the job increased your risk of having an accident. In the same way, if you get stung by a bee at work, unless you are a…

We are Chicago based workers’ compensation attorneys who help with job injury cases all over.  If you have any questions, fill out our contact form, call us or click on the chat button.  We will always talk to you for free and do whatever we can to help you. We talk to people in plain English and are very approachable.  Hopefully this makes people comfortable and they can ask me whatever questions they want to. …

Employers in Illinois are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance if they have one or more employees.  It’s a felony not to do so.  The only exception to this is if you work for yourself or are the owner of a company. In those cases you can opt out and don’t have to cover yourself. Of course if you are working, even if you are the owner, and get injured, not having insurance could really…

One of the great things about Illinois workers’ compensation law is that it’s a no fault law.  That means you don’t need to prove that your employer was negligent to win your case.  So if your back went out on you because you used bad form when lifting or if you new the floor was just waxed, but walked on it anyway, you can still get work comp benefits even though you are partially at…

Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, the insurance company for your employer has to pay for all “reasonable and related” medical care as a result of your injury.  So if you lift a box at work and feel a pop in your back, it’s reasonable for you to go to the doctor, get physical therapy, have a MRI, etc.  It wouldn’t be reasonable to go and get some experimental treatment that is not recognized by…

I pride myself in being an attorney who is direct, honest and speaks in plain English.  If someone asks me a question and I know the answer, I don’t tiptoe around it if it’s something they don’t want to hear.  I’m also willing to tell you that your lawyer sucks if they suck, and of course, I’ll tell you if they are doing a good job when it appears to be the case. A lot…