One of the most important aspects of your workers’ comp case is your medical care. Your health is the first and most important thing we want to make sure has our full support. We want our clients to get the full medical care needed for their injuries, however long that takes, before we even touch the idea of maximizing the settlement for their cases.
(Side note: We do give our clients what they want. If a client states he / she wants to settle a case ASAP, and health is not a priority—even if we advise against it—then we do all we can to fulfill what the client wants, as any ethical lawyer would do.)
Callers often ask, “Why do I need a workers’ comp lawyer? What will you do for me?”
Outside of helping to get approval for your medical care, making sure you are paid the right amount in TTD benefits, getting your medical bills paid, fighting for your rights in court at the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, and all of the usual reasons, there is one reason that very few first-time injured workers understand:
An experienced work comp attorney has knowledge about doctors across the state of Illinois, and knows which doctors are best known for:
- Positive surgical outcomes
- Bad surgical outcomes
- Supporting work injury patients
- Supporting work comp insurance companies
- Giving fair and unbiased IMEs (independent medical exams)
- Giving IMEs consistently against injured workers
- Providing persuasive testimony / depositions in past cases
- Providing bad testimony / depositions in past cases
This knowledge is something that you simply cannot find on the internet. Why? Mainly because of the amount of lawsuits doctors would file against us if attorneys attempted to present that knowledge for the public to see.
As an attorney who has practiced workers’ compensation law and personal injury law for over 45 years, and as a firm with a combined 151 years of experience, we have the knowledge of doctors in Illinois to the fullest extent.
Many times, a new work injury client will tell us, “The insurance company sent me to an IME with doctor X,” and then instantly, we know where the case will most likely be headed, and exactly what type of fight will happen in court. We are prepared because we have been to battle, we know the players, and we keep up with the latest information and cases in which they have been involved.
Other times, we are relieved, and we know that the IME doctor in question will provide a fair and honest assessment, but we explain all the other ways we could help the client, such as maximizing settlement at the end of the case. Also: Your employer and insurance company always have a lawyer. If you don’t hire a lawyer, you’ll be the party without representation and crucial advice.
We also can provide honest support on whether your treating doctor has a good reputation, or is qualified for the care that you need. We do not tell clients what to do or who to treat with, but we provide our knowledge and experience to give you every advantage possible, to make sure you get back to the best health possible, also known as MMI, or maximum medical improvement.
Once we provide our knowledge and advice, what our clients do with that advice is up to them. We do not force our clients to do anything they do not want to do, outside of following the law in Illinois.
The bottom line: An experienced attorney has knowledge of doctors in Illinois workers’ comp, and that is truly one of the most valuable benefits our firm can provide for you.
Do you have a workers’ compensation, personal injury or occupational disease case? Contact us at Peter D. Corti Law Group! We will give you a free consultation backed by 151 years of experience in workers’ compensation law in Illinois.
Independent Medical Exam (IME), Medical Care, Workers’ Comp Doctors
