Medical Benefits for Injured City of Chicago Workers

Chicago Lawyers for Local Government Employees Hurt on the Job

Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, the City of Chicago is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. The City is self-insured to provide these benefits to those with whom it has an employer-employee relationship. If you have questions about medical benefits for injured City of Chicago workers, experienced legal counsel can help. The City has numerous resources and may not cooperate in giving you the full benefits to which you’re entitled. Our committed Chicago workers’ compensation attorneys can review your case and evaluate your legal options.

Medical Benefits for Injured City of Chicago Workers

Any accident arising in or out of the course of employment in this state is covered by the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act. Accordingly, if you’re injured or made sick by your job with the City of Chicago, you should be able to obtain medical benefits under the Act. As a self-insured entity, The City of Chicago will be responsible for paying for these benefits. Medical benefits include payment of all medical care and treatment that’s reasonably needed to cure or relieve your injuries.

It is important to provide notice to the City of the accident and your injuries, and to seek medical attention right away. If you delay, your initial claim for medical benefits may be denied.

Medical Benefits for Which You May Qualify

The type of medical benefits to which you’re entitled depends on how severe your work injuries are and what their nature is. Some of the jobs with the City are extremely risky, such as the jobs of firemen, police officers, sewer department workers, maintenance workers, and transportation workers. These are jobs that are dangerous because of workers’ greater chance of sustaining an acute or traumatic injury while working in these jobs. For example, if you’re a City worker who is hit by a construction vehicle on the road while overseeing road repairs, you may suffer internal injuries, an amputated limb, and broken bones. Your emergency care as well as your subsequent doctor’s visits should be covered by workers’ compensation. If, after several months, you still are unable to walk, you may need physical therapy. Throughout your treatment, the pain may be immense, and you may need to take pharmaceuticals; these should also be covered. If, afterward you’re not able to walk again by yourself, you may be able to get medical equipment, such as a prosthetic limb or wheelchair or a walker.

Those who work in office jobs, such as receptionists, secretaries, and administrators, may also suffer work injuries due to cumulative trauma and repetitive motions. For example, as a secretary for an elected official, you might develop carpal tunnel syndrome, which is a repetitive stress injury; you would be entitled to medical benefits for that, even though it’s not an acute injury. Similarly, if you are a janitor for the City who develops bursitis due to gripping a mop and wringing it out, you may be entitled to medical benefits.

Medical benefits are meant to cover costs that are causally related to the workplace accident. They’re awarded if it’s decided they are needed to diagnose, relieve or cure injuries sustained in a work-related accident. Medical expenses must be both reasonable and necessary. Moreover, the actual costs for receiving the medical care must be reasonable. The City may dispute whether your treatment was needed at all; in other cases it may dispute whether the particular cost incurred was reasonable. A seasoned work injury lawyer can help you contest these arguments.

Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission

When the City of Chicago disputes your medical benefits or denies your medical benefits claim altogether, you should not assume the City is right simply because it’s a governmental entity. For example, it might deny your claim based on its belief that your injury is entirely the result of a pre-existing condition. However, if your job aggravated or exacerbated your pre-existing condition, this is not a valid denial. You should still be able to recover medical benefits for the aggravation or exacerbation of the injury.

You can take your claim for medical benefits before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission by filing an Application for Adjustment of Claim. However, the decision made by the Commission is not going to be overturned unless it cuts against the “manifest weight of the evidence.” The City will use its substantial resources to support its position. Accordingly, it is advisable to obtain knowledgeable representation if you are denied medical benefits.

Consult a Skillful Workers’ Compensation Attorney in Chicago

Those concerned about medical benefits for injured City of Chicago workers can talk to a tenacious workers’ compensation attorney regarding their claims. The aggressive and knowledgeable lawyers of Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca represent injured workers living in areas including Champaign, Rockford, Aurora, and Quincy, as well as Kane, Winnebago, Adams, Cook, and Sangamon Counties. Contact us at 312-724-5846 or by completing our online form.