What Insurance Companies Don’t Want you to Know
Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Serving the Chicago Area
After suffering job-related injuries in an accident or receiving a diagnosis due to an occupational illness, you may be entitled to recover workers’ compensation benefits. According to Illinois law, many employers maintain workers’ compensation insurance that directly pays benefits to cover medical costs, wages, and vocational rehabilitation. Insurance companies work for the employer, and unfortunately, injured workers are often subjected to an insurer’s strategy of denying or delaying the payment of benefits. At Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, our Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers aggressively prosecute claims for lost wages, medical benefits, and disability awards on behalf of injured employees. We are ready to help you fight back against insurance company tactics as you seek the outcome that you deserve.
Present a Strong Claim for Benefits Based on a Workplace Accident
Following a workplace accident, injured individuals may be inclined to speak with their employer’s insurance company, without the assistance of an attorney. Like many other states, Illinois requires most employers to have workers’ compensation insurance for their employees. An employer may either purchase the coverage from a private insurer or self-insure and pay the claims directly.
Insurance companies, however, do not represent injured workers. As a result, they often attempt to minimize or deny payments for job-related injuries. For example, an insurer may inaccurately allege that an accident took place outside work and is therefore not compensable. It is imperative that injured workers understand that a successful claim requires strong medical documentation and an ability to demonstrate that an injury or condition was caused by their job duties.
The purpose of workers’ compensation laws is to mandate that employers provide full medical benefits to workers who suffer job-related injuries. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act (IWCA) sets forth a formula for calculating weekly payments for various kinds of disabilities. These include temporary total disability, permanent total disability, and permanent partial disability.
Causally connecting their injuries to the workplace is necessary in order for injured workers to successfully recover benefits under the IWCA. Unfortunately, insurance companies seeking to deny a workers’ compensation claim may attempt to refute causation arguments, contending that a condition, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, is not related to the job. It is important in presenting a claim for benefits for an injured worker to explain when and how the condition manifested.
Workers’ compensation insurance carriers may hire insurance adjusters, as well as their own legal counsel, to dispute medical records. Discrediting injured workers and showing inconsistencies within the medical history may provide a way for insurers to pay reduced benefits or deny a claim. By hiring a skilled attorney, injured workers may strengthen their ability to recover compensation.
Consult a Skilled Chicago Lawyer for Your Workers’ Compensation Case
For comprehensive representation in a workers’ compensation case, you can consult the job injury attorneys at Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca. We provide efficient service in a personalized manner. Our Chicago workers’ compensation attorneys understand that accurate information and sufficiently detailed medical records are critical in a claim for benefits. By gathering evidence and obtaining expert witness testimony when appropriate, we have successfully recovered benefits in many cases after insurance carriers attempted to deny claims. We have helped workers in Springfield, Aurora, Rockford, Champaign, and Quincy, as well as other areas of Kane, Cook, Winnebago, Champaign, and Adams Counties. Contact our office at 312-724-5846 or through our online form to set up a free appointment to discuss your situation.