Workers’ Comp in Illinois: Five Quick Things to Know

Workers’ Comp in Illinois: Five Quick Things to Know

1. Even if your case goes smoothly / is all paid for, there are many reasons to at least talk to a lawyer, the first one being that the insurance company will never offer you as much money as the case is truly worth without an attorney on your side.

2. You do NOT have to give a RECORDED STATEMENT to the insurance company regarding your injury. They may LIE to you and claim that they “CANNOT START YOUR CASE” until you give the recorded statement, but that is a LIE.

3. You do NOT have to sign the release for authorization to obtain your medical records beyond the records only pertaining to your work injury. Most likely, the release they are pressuring you to sign is for MORE than they are entitled to by law, and you are signing away part of your rights if you cave in to this demand.

4. In Illinois, you have 45 days to report your injury to your employer, from the time you KNOW or SHOULD HAVE KNOWN about your injury’s connection to your job / work / employment / etc. If beyond that time or in questionable territory, do NOT hesitate to CALL A WORK COMP LAWYER (312-782-8372) for a FREE private talk. But reporting your injury promptly is, generally, very important to your possible case.

5. Attorney’s fees in Illinois work comp are CONTINGENT fees. We ONLY get paid IF WE COLLECT FOR YOU. If not, there is no fee, and it is free. The standard fee is 20% of whatever we collect for you, which, generally, refers to the settlement for you at the end of your case.