The Workers’ Compensation Insurance Company adjuster is the person who tries to settle your case with you.
The Adjuster’s job is to close out your case on the most favorable terms for the insurance company.
The adjuster will often make you an offer and then tell you they do not have any more money.
The truth is that an adjuster almost never puts out their final offer at the start.
Another trick is to tell you the offer they made is only good until a certain date.
The truth is that an offer may be withdrawn at any time. However, the adjuster will not take away an offer if they think they can get the deal down within their settlement range.
Recently adjusters have been telling injured workers that if they ask for money and do not settle they will send them to see a doctor.
The purpose is get an AMA impairment rating.
This is one factor that the new Illinois Workers’ Compensation law allows the Arbitrator to consider.
The AMA rating is almost always very low.
For instance, traditionally a carpal tunnel surgery is worth around 15 percent of the hand. An AMA rating would probably value carpal tunnel at 1 percent.
The truth is that AMA ratings are only one of the factors Arbitrators look at.
The adjusters do not necessarily want to send you to a doctor because it costs them additional money that they have to pay the doctor out of the insurance company pockets.
Remember, everything is negotiable and the insurance company wants to close out your case.
Questions about settling your case? Feel free to contact Illinois Work Comp lawyer Dirk May at 309-827-4371.