If you can no longer work in your old job, or you cannot work at all as a result of a work injury you must look for another job.
This greatly increases the value of your workers’ compensation case and leads to a much larger settlement than you would have received otherwise.
This because the law in Illinois and the courts have provided that the best way to prove loss of ability to work or reduced earning power is to perform a job search.
It is not easy to do this, but it is the best thing to do for your case.
You will have to put in effort and time to perform the job search.
This includes searching and applying online for jobs, applying in person, and going through interviews.
In some cases the insurance company will hire a vocational consultant to help you in the job search.
However, the majority of the work will have to come from you.
The best way to look at it is to take the long term view. It may take 6 the 12 months but the payoff in the end will be worth it because it shows you can no longer work or that you have to take a lower paid job.
In the event you find a job, then this makes it easy to determine your wage reduction as a result of the injury.
Make sure you consult with an experienced work comp lawyer to insure that you are getting the best settlement possible.
Questions about your work injury case? Feel free to contact Illinois Workers’ Compensation Attorney Dirk May with Williams and Swee at 309-827-4371.