The Illinois Workers’ Compensation law gives you 3 main rights when you are injured on the job.
You are entitled to payment for your medical bills.
This is for medical treatment that is related to your work injury.
Sometimes the insurance company will hire a doctor to examine you. If this doctor says your treatment is not related to your injury, or no more treatment is needed then Work Comp will stop paying the bills.
You can fight the Work Comp doctor, but you will need to go before the Judge to argue your case.
An injured worker called me recently who said the insurance company made him have his surgery on his medical card and refused to pay the bills. This is not right.
You are also entitled to off work pay equal to 66 percent of your wage the year before you were injured. The doctor must take you off work to receive the pay.
The insurance company doctor may think you can return to work. Work Comp will stop paying you if this happens.
Once again you will need to challenge this in court.
Finally, you are entitled to a settlement for your injury. Some insurance companies conveniently forget to make an offer and then hope people do not know they are able to get the settlement.
The value of the settlement depends a number of factors I have covered in other blogs.
Questions about your work injury and what you should receive? Feel free to contact Illinois Workers’ Compensation Attorney Dirk May at 309-827-4371.