Medical Benefits for Injured UPS Drivers

Chicago Lawyers for Workers’ Compensation Cases

There are many ways UPS drivers can sustain injuries while working. They may collide with another driver or encounter an unsafe road. They may suffer repetitive stress injuries. Sometimes driving for long periods or lifting heavy packages worsens a pre-existing condition; for example, a disc herniation can be exacerbated in the course of driving long distances and carrying a package to the door. When driver needs to drop off a package, he may encounter a dog attack or dangerous property condition. Whether you were hurt in an auto accident or sustained a repetitive stress injury, you may be concerned about your entitlement to medical benefits as an injured UPS driver. You can consult the knowledgeable Chicago workers’ compensation attorneys of Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca for legal advice and representation.

Medical Benefits for Injured UPS Drivers

It’s important to seek medical care once you realize you’re injured. You should follow any recommendations suggested by the doctor who treats you. It’s also important to let the doctor know that you are being treated for an injury sustained on the job.

You may be asked by your employer to fill out an accident report. You should fill this out accurately. Even if you’ve filled out an accident report, you should give your employer written notice of your work-related injury within 45 days. Failure to provide timely notice can result in you losing your workers’ compensation benefits. Your written notice should specify the place and date of the accident that caused your injuries.

Reasonable Medical Care

Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. You can generally obtain benefits even if you are to blame for the accident that resulted in your injuries. Among the benefits available through workers’ compensation are the reasonable medical services you need to address your injuries. These medical benefits are important because they cover all of your medical bills, including doctors’ visits, medications, physical therapy, and surgery.

Choosing a Provider

You are entitled to choose your own medical provider after a work injury, and you should make your decision carefully. You may receive a suggestion of a medical provider from your employer or insurer, but you are not required to take that suggestion.

Often employers participate in a Preferred Provider Program. They may ask you to choose an in-network doctor. You will have two choices within that system. Each choice includes any referral made by the doctor you chose. For example, if you suffer spinal cord damage and the first doctor you chose for treatment refers you to a spine specialist, that referral will count as part of your first choice. If you decide not to select a medical provider from within network, you will be limited to one choice of provider. A skilled workers’ compensation lawyer can help you navigate these and other rules related to your claim for benefits.

Third Party Lawsuits for Vehicle Accidents

If you are a UPS driver involved in a vehicle accident caused by another party, you may be able to obtain damages through a third party lawsuit. Often third party lawsuits for injuries sustained in a vehicle accident are brought under a theory of negligence. If you are suing for negligence, you will need to show: (1) you were owed a duty of care by the defendant, (2) breach of the duty of care, (3) causation, and (4) damages. For example, if a drunk driver was operating a big rig and plowed into you on the highway, it is likely that a jury would find that drunk driving was a breach of that driver’s duty to use reasonable care. Illinois follows a modified form of comparative negligence, whereby by your damages can be reduced if you are 50% or less at fault for your own injuries; you may be barred from recovery if you are found to be more than 50% responsible.

In a lawsuit, you can seek not only economic losses such as medical bills, but also damages for pain and suffering, mental anguish, and other losses arising out of the injuries you suffered.

Consult a Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Chicago

If you have legal questions regarding medical benefits for injured UPS drivers in Chicago, you can contact the seasoned workers’ compensation lawyers of Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca. We can represent injured UPS drivers in Rockford, Quincy, Champaign, and Aurora, as well as Kane, Adams, Cook, Winnebago, and Sangamon Counties. Contact us at 312-724-5846 or via our online form.