Workers’ Compensation Injuries
We are attorneys helping job accident victims in Illinois. Work-related accidents and injuries qualify an injured employee for workers’ compensation benefits if those injuries “arise out of” and are “in the course of” employment. This legal requirement extends to many different injuries, as well as illnesses, including those resulting from repetitive trauma and psychological stress. At Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, our skilled Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers represent injured employees throughout Illinois. The strength of a workers’ compensation claim rests on the ability to show a connection between the injury and the job. Our dedicated attorneys are prepared to aggressively advocate on your behalf, helping you seek the compensation to which you may be legally entitled.
Types of Workers’ Compensation Injuries
Work-related injuries include those that take place when employees are acting on behalf of their employer or in the course of employment. Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act (IWCA), benefits may be available for the medical costs of job-related injuries as well as diseases. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission is the agency that handles workers’ compensation claims brought throughout the state. As an impartial administrative court, the Commission addresses claims brought by employees against their employers and insurers. To recover compensation, injured employees must show that their injury or condition was work-related.
Employees may be compensated for not only physical work-related injuries but also those that are mental, caused by stress or other psychological factors. Pre-existing medical conditions that are made worse by work are also covered under the IWCA. There are some situations in which the question of whether an employee was on the job may be less straightforward than in other cases. For example, if a lunch break injury took place while an employee was eating off-site with a client, this probably will be more likely to be considered work-related than an injury off-site while the employee was eating with their family.
Physical injuries may result from a single incident, or they may arise from repeated work tasks and repetitive motions. Carpal tunnel syndrome and rotator cuff tears are examples of repetitive stress injuries that may be covered by the Act. Here are some of the injuries we have handled for injured workers:
- Asthma and Lung Conditions
- Back Injuries
- Brain Injuries
- Burn Injuries
- Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
- Cartilage Injuries
- Complex Regional Pain Syndrome
- Concussions and Closed Head Injuries
- Crushing Injuries
- Elbow and Shoulder Injuries
- Epicondylitis
- Exposure to Carcinogens
- Falling Objects
- Fatal Work Injuries
- Foot and Ankle Injuries
- Health Care Industry Injuries
- Industrial Disease
- Knee Injuries
- Lead Exposure on the Job
- Ligament Tears
- Nerve Injuries
- Office and Professional Injuries
- Psychiatric Injuries
- PTSD
- Radiation Injuries
- Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy
- Rotator Cuff Injuries
- Scarring and Disfigurement
- Soft Tissue Injuries
- Vision and Hearing Loss
- Warehouse Accidents
Explore Your Options with a Skilled Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Chicago
At Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, we diligently and efficiently bring all types of workers’ compensation claims, representing individuals as well as labor unions and union workers. Our goal is to maximize benefits on behalf of employees, and our job injury lawyers have successfully handled thousands of workers’ compensation cases throughout Illinois. We maintain a high degree of familiarity with state workers’ compensation laws, as well as the intricacies of union contracts and the tactics employed by insurance companies to deny or minimize claims. Our Chicago workers’ compensation attorneys have also represented injured employees in Aurora, Champaign, Springfield, and Quincy, as well as other cities in Sangamon, Cook, Champaign, Winnebago, Kane, and Adams Counties. Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca only represents injured individuals, never assisting employers, and we are committed to pursuing the quality medical care and benefits that you are entitled to receive by law. Contact us for a free consultation online or by calling 312-724-5846.