This is a cautionary tale to protect the value of your Illinois Workers’ Compensation case.
The forms you complete at the beginning of your work injury are very important and may make the difference between winning and losing.
Just imagine that you have sustained a work injury and work wants you to complete forms for off work pay and an incident report.
Suppose that you complete the form and you mark it is not a work related injury, or fail to mark that it is work related.
Or suppose that you complete the doctor office form and mark that it is not work related, or fail to mark that it is work related.
The Arbitrators and Workers’ Compensation Insurance companies pay close attention to these forms.
Some people initially will fail to tell others that it is a work related injury. There may be a variety of reasons: I misunderstood. I didn’t know that a gradual onset injury over time was a really a work injury. I was afraid they would fire me. I did not know who pay the bills.
Changing your story later will lead to all kinds of trouble.
The Arbitrator and Workers’ Compensation Insurance company will often take the position that there was no work injury because you told them so at the beginning of the case.
Do yourself a favor and report all work injuries in writing, immediately.
Confused? Uncertain? Make sure to discuss it with an experienced lawyer right away. Feel free to contact Illinois Workers’ Compensation Attorney Dirk May at 309-827-4371.