Torn Ligaments in the Airline Industry

Chicago Lawyers for Injured Transportation Workers

Ligaments are tough bands of tissue that join bones or cartilage in order to keep the bones of the skeleton properly aligned. They make joints stronger and keep the joint from moving abnormally. Ligaments are strong and fibrous, but even so they can be torn. Traumatic events like falls can result in torn ligaments. Sometimes they are sprained because they are stretched out of position. If you are a worker who has suffered torn ligaments in the airline industry, you may eligible for benefits, and a seasoned Chicago workers’ compensation attorney can help you pursue them.

Torn Ligaments in the Airline Industry

Often airline jobs are strenuous. They require strength of mind and body. Baggage handlers may have to lift up to 10 bags a minute and these bags can weigh up to 70 pounds. Their shifts may be 8 hours long. Over time, their ligaments may take a beating. Ligaments that are commonly injured include those associated with the ankle, the knee, or the wrist. These injuries can occur in connection with handling heavy luggage, bending and twisting while handling a heavy load, handling an uneven load, cleaning the airplane, servicing the airplane, a slippery tarmac, being hit by a vehicle or equipment, or moving or lifting a disabled passenger.

Available Benefits for Torn Ligaments

Injured ligaments are often treated through ice, compression, and elevation. Rest is also crucial for injured ligaments. However, when other treatment doesn’t work, your doctor may recommend surgery to repair a torn ligament, whether it is your ACL, PCL, MCL, LCL, or another ligament.

Illinois workers’ compensation benefits include coverage for reasonable medical care needed to relieve or alleviate an injury’s impact. Other benefits can include temporary total disability benefits, temporary partial disability benefits, permanent partial or permanent total disability benefits, and vocational rehabilitation. These benefits aren’t taxable.

Filing for Benefits

If you’re injured at work, you should notify your employer. You should provide the date and place of your accident in a written notification to the employer. Letting a coworker know you tore your ACL would not be considered notification of your employer. While the law permits oral notice, it’s wise to put it in writing so that you have evidence you provided the required notice. After you let your employer know, your employer is supposed to give you a list of the medical providers that it has approved and it is also supposed to notify its workers’ compensation insurer to initiate the claims process. A knowledgeable work injury lawyer can assist you if your employer does not comply with this process.

If a torn ligament suffered in the airline industry leaves you unable to work for over 3 days, your employer has 14 days to accept the claim and pay temporary disability benefits or provide you with a written explanation for the delay or denial. The employer is also supposed to file an accident report within 30 days of you letting it know about your torn ligament when your torn ligament leaves you unable to work for more than 3 days.

Consult a Skillful Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Chicago

If you’ve become disabled by a torn ligament on the job, while working in the airline industry in Chicago, and want to apply for workers’ compensation benefits, an experienced work injury lawyer can help. Although the workers’ compensation system was designed to make it easier for workers to obtain replacement wages and get their medical bills paid, in practice, insurers do deny valid claims for illegitimate reasons. It can help to have someone on your side. At Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, we represent injured airline workers in Quincy, Aurora, Springfield, Rockford, and Champaign, as well as Kane County, Sangamon County, Winnebago County, Cook County, and Adams County. We will also examine the circumstances of your case to determine whether it would be appropriate to sue a third party in a personal injury lawsuit or seek SSDI benefits. Call us at 312-724-5846, or contact us online to learn more.