Aggravation of Preexisting Conditions for Commonwealth Edison

Chicago Workers’ Compensation Lawyers for Commonwealth Edison Workers

As a Commonwealth Edison worker, you may face considerable risks on the job, and feel uncertain about what your rights are in the event that you are injured. It can be especially tricky to know what to do if you have a preexisting condition that affects your work injury. Please call the experienced Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers of Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca to represent you if you suspect you will be denied workers’ compensation benefits because of your medical history. Our firm seeks the best outcomes available to workers; we will look at the specific circumstances to see whether you could also seek remedies by bringing a personal injury or SSDI claim.

Aggravation of Preexisting Conditions

Most electricity-related injuries are accidental and preventable. Sadly, they can result in dysfunction to organs and tissues, or even death. You may be denied workers’ compensation benefits if you have a preexisting condition that has a relationship to the job-related injuries you sustained for ComEd in or around Chicago. Preexisting conditions that could be aggravated by your job include heart conditions, herniated discs, fibromyalgia and other chronic illness, diabetes, and obesity.

You should not assume that a denial from ComEd’s insurer that points out your preexisting condition is a valid one. In general, insurers look for ways to protect profits and they sometimes issue denials that are illegitimate. It is important to call our attorneys to discuss what happened to you, your past medical history, and the viability of your claim; the workers’ compensation system can be complex and difficult to navigate on your own.

You are entitled to benefits so long as the work accident aggravates or intensifies your preexisting condition. For example, if you were diagnosed with a heart arrhythmia years earlier, but because you are shocked while working for Commonwealth Edison, you have, as a complication of the shock, a heart attack, you may be able to obtain workers’ compensation benefits for the heart attack. For another example, if you have a herniated disc and it is ruptured while you’re lifting equipment near an electrical pole, you would be able to seek benefits based on the ruptured disc because it is an aggravated preexisting condition.

Attorneys for Medical Benefits

Our lawyers would need to discuss the circumstances of your work accident with your doctor to get a sense of the relationship between an accident, and the work situation. Each claim may have unique aspects and require medical opinions. When an accident brings on symptoms that weren’t previously present or your injuries were worsened by it, you may have a valid claim for benefits.

Unlike with third party personal injury lawsuits, ComEd cannot get your benefits reduced. This can be important if, for instance, your own negligence while working is what resulted in your injuries. For example, if you used the wrong equipment and contacted a live wire with it, ComEd would not be able to get your benefits reduced because you used inappropriate equipment.

ComEd and its insurer are required to pay for all of your medical care that is reasonably necessary to relieve the effects or symptoms of the injuries. Medical benefits could include first aid, emergency care, hospitalization costs, doctor’s visits costs, surgeries, physical therapy, chiropractic care, medical equipment, prosthetic devices, and medications. If you fell while repairing the top of an electrical pole and you were paralyzed as a result, such that you can no longer walk, it may be appropriate for ComEd and its insurer to pay for your wheelchair and modification of your home.

Hire a Chicago Law Firm That Represents Commonwealth Edison Employees

If your preexisting condition is worsened by a ComEd job-related accident and you suspect you may encounter difficulties getting benefits you need, you should let your doctor know and give our attorneys a call. We handle workers’ compensation claims against Commonwealth Edison in Champaign, Rockford, Quincy, and Aurora, as well as Sangamon, Winnebago, Kane, Cook, and Adams Counties. We also handle third party lawsuits and Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) claims. Call us at 312-724-5846 or complete our online form.