Hand Injuries in the Auto Industry
Lawyers for Employees Hurt at Work in Chicago
Some common injuries suffered by those in the auto industry include overexertion lifting, slip and falls, getting caught in equipment, repetitive motion injuries, and getting hit or crushed by an object. Hands are delicate parts of the body, made up of more moving parts and bones than many other body parts, and they can sustain significant injuries in the form of crushing, lacerations, fractures, and punctures. Hand injuries can be disabling, leaving you unable to work your job. If you have suffered hand injuries in the auto industry, a knowledgeable Chicago workers’ workers’ compensation attorney can help you seek benefits.
Making a Claim for Workers’ Compensation Benefits for Hand Injuries
The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act section 6(c) sets forth notice requirements for workers’ compensation claims. You should provide your employer with notice of your hand injuries as soon as you can. This notice should be given to a supervisor or someone who serves in a supervisorial role within 45 days of your injury. For example, if you hand gets caught in machinery and you need to go to the ER with crushing injuries, you should still make sure you provide written notice to your supervisor about the machine incident. You can provide verbal notice, but it is a good idea to provide written notice in order to have proof that you provided it. The written notice should include information about what happened leading up to the accident, the date and time of the accident, and the fact that you were left with hand injuries. It should also provide your contact information and name.
You’ll need to file your workers’ compensation claim within 3 years of the work accident that caused your hand injuries. If you don’t provide the requisite notice or file your claim within the appropriate window, you can lose your workers’ compensation benefits. A seasoned work injury lawyer can help you comply with the appropriate deadlines and procedures.
Benefits for Hand Injuries in the Auto Industry
You can obtain different kinds of workers’ compensation benefits for hand injuries suffered while working an auto manufacturing or repair job. Among these are temporary and permanent disability benefits, which can serve to provide wage replacement. If you suffer a significant laceration in your hand and your job involves working with your hands, you might need to take a little time off work to allow the laceration to heal. Temporary disability benefits are paid at 66 2/3% of your average weekly wage up to the state maximum. These are paid once you miss three days of work, unless you miss more than 14 days of work, and in that case, you can recover the first three days of lost wages.
If both your hands are crushed in a machine while you are working in an auto manufacturing plant, you might lose the use of your hands permanently, and you may not be able to work again at all. You may be able to obtain permanent disability benefits. The amount of this kind of benefit is equivalent to 66 2/3% of what you were paid before the injury or by examining a schedule of injuries specifying the number of weeks of payments to which you’re entitled.
If your hands are disfigured, you may be able to get 162 weeks of benefits at 60% of your average weekly wage. Sometimes with hand injuries, you may need to be trained to do a different job. Under the workers’ compensation system you may be able to obtain vocational rehabilitation benefits, which can provide that type of training.
Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Serving Chicago
If you have questions about hand injuries suffered in the auto industry in Chicago, a skillful workers’ compensation lawyer can help. The experienced legal team at Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca provides representation to injured workers in Quincy, Rockford, Aurora, and Champaign, as well as Kane, Cook, Winnebago, Sangamon Counties, and Adams County. Contact us at 312-724-5846 or via our online form.