Workers’ Compensation Hearings for Commonwealth Edison Employees

Chicago Lawyers for Commonwealth Edison Employees

Commonwealth Edison employees face a range of risks on the job. If you are a ComEd employee who was injured or made sick on the job, your employer’s insurer may need to provide you with benefits, including medical expenses, a portion of your lost wages, vocational rehabilitation, and compensation for disfigurement. Although the workers’ compensation system is a no-fault system that was intended to make compensation easier for workers to obtain than civil litigation is, in practical terms, it is extremely difficult for laypeople to navigate. If you need to go up against your employer for benefits, you should consult the experienced Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers of Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca.

Workers’ Compensation Hearings for Commonwealth Edison Employees

After getting injured on the job with ComEd, you should provide notice to the company. You may also need to file a benefits claim by completing an Application for Adjustment of Claim with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC). Our lawyers may recommend that we file an Application for Adjustment of Claim even if you are receiving benefits , when there is some possibility that a portion of your benefits will be denied or that there will be a cessation of benefits.

When you have an Application on file with the IWCC, you should be able to obtain an expedited hearing before an arbitrator, and this may make a difference to you and your family’s ability to stay afloat after your accident or illness. You either have three years from the date of injury or two year from the date of the last payment of compensation to file your claim with the IWCC.

Once our lawyers put an Application for Adjustment of Claim on file for a client, the claim is assigned to an arbitrator with status hearings put on calendar for every 60 days.

Independent Medical Exams

Before you attend the hearing, you may be asked to attend an independent medical exam (IME) with a doctor selected by ComEd and its insurer. In most cases, IME doctors have been selected because they have a history of siding with insurers and employers against workers. IME reports can result in reduced benefits or no benefits for workers, even when injuries are serious. However, they are not voluntary; you must go to an IME when requested even if you believe the insurer is prejudiced against you. Our lawyers may be able to talk you through this process. You should be aware that an IME doctor and his or her staff may observe you come to or going from your appointment.

An insurer may conduct social media and other surveillance before a hearing to get evidence that you are malingering or that your injuries are not as severe as you claim. It is crucial to be scrupulously honest in your claim and to retain legal representation to give yourself the best chance of obtaining needed benefits.

19(b) Hearings

Our lawyers may be able to request a 19(b) hearing if you face challenges as a result of your disputed claim. This type of hearing is expedited. You and your lawyer both need to be present at a hearing. You may be able to settle a claim if you have arrived at maximum medical improvement, which indicates your treatment and recovery are complete though you are not at full function.

If we cannot reach a settlement with ComEd, your case may need to be taken to trial before an arbitrator. In the course of that process, we will need to present evidence to support the claim for benefits.

Consult an Experienced Attorney for Death Benefits

If you lost a loved one due to work-related injuries or illness, you should consult an experienced Chicago workers’ compensation lawyer. It is crucial to retain legal representation as soon as you realize your loved one’s death was work-related. Our lawyers represent health care workers in Rockford, Champaign, Quincy, and Aurora, as well as Sangamon, Winnebago, Kane, Cook, and Adams Counties. Call us at 312-724-5846 or complete our online form.