Work Comp Tip

Over the years I have seen a number of people with work injuries and have reviewed their medical records.

There a certain number of people who report to their medical providers that they did not know how the injury happened.

They explain to me that the reason they did not tell the doctor or hospital that it is an injury at work was because they were afraid work would be mad or they just wanted to have their own insurance handle and avoid the hassle.

I understand what these people were saying, however when they change their mind and decide to pursue a work injury case later on it becomes very difficult for them.

The Arbitrator (a workers’ compensation judge) gives great weight to what the injured worker told the doctors and emergency room personnel at the time of the accident.

The nature of the world causes suspicion so you can understand why the information given close to the time of the accident is very important.

The best practice is to tell your supervisor, co-workers, doctors, nurses, therapists, and emergency personnel how the injury happened at work and what body parts you injured.

You do not have to file a work injury application of claim, however you must leave that option open for yourself. If you do not, then most likely you have closed the door on recovering benefits under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act.

Injuries hurt. Call Illinois Work Comp Attorney Dirk May at 309-827-4371 to discuss the best way to help your case.

How to Handle Claims Adjusters

Whether you have a motor vehicle injury, work injury, or dog bite the insurance company representative will often want to speak with you.

The insurance company adjuster’s job is to gather information and medical documents that may be used to deny your claim or reduce the offer that the insurance company will make to you.

Whether the adjuster takes a recorded statement or takes notes of your conversation the focus will be on the details of how the accident happened and your injuries and the treatment of them.

The problem is that the insurance company and its lawyer may use this information against you in a deposition or trial.

For instance, if you tell the adjuster during your statement that the car that hit you was going 20 miles an hour but two years later at a deposition you testify that the car was going 35 miles an hour then you will face intense questioning. Why did you change your story? Wasn’t your memory closer to the time of the accident a better recollection?

If the insurance company wants to question you  and gather information make sure that you secure the assistance of an injury attorney to protect your interests.

Questions about your work injury or motor vehicle injury? Feel free to contact Illinois injury lawyer Dirk May at 309-827-4371.

Injury Tips

Whether it is a work injury, dog bite, or car crash there are several things you can do to increase the value of your case.

Make sure that you make a incident report or injury report right away and provide it to your employer or the authorities. Make sure that you get a copy of it for your records.

Make sure that you go to the doctor or hospital as soon as possible.

Give a complete and accurate description of your accident and all the body parts injured.

Show up for all your doctor and therapy appointments and comply with all the doctor’s orders.

Make sure that you tell the doctor about all your continuing pain, swelling, limited range of motion, or numbness and tingling.

Ask your doctor to provide any permanent restrictions or limitations at the end of your treatment.

Questions about your injury case? Feel free to contact Illinois injury Attorney Dirk May at 309-827-4371.

2017 – 01/12/2017 – Masonry contractor continues to expose workers to fall hazards | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Source: 2017 – 01/12/2017 – Masonry contractor continues to expose workers to fall hazards | Occupational Safety and Health Administration

Click above to read.

Falls leading cause of fatalities in construction industry since 2010. Workers’ Compensation law in Illinois pays specific death benefits.

Make Sure to Coordinate Your Work Comp Settlement and Social Security Claim

Social Security law requires that your disability payments be offset or reduced to take into account any Workers’ Compensation settlement.

This makes it very important for your Workers’ Compensation lawyer to be aware of your filing for Social Security Disability benefits.

The best situation is to use the same lawyer for both the work injury claim and the Social Security Disability claim, however if that is not possible then make sure that your Workers’ Comp lawyer talks with your Social Security attorney.

Your work comp lawyer must make sure to put special spread language approved through SSA to reduce any offset as much as allowed pursuant to SSA rules.

I have seen several Work Comp settlements that have not used this special language and the disabled workers suffers greatly as a result.

These injured workers have had their Social Security disability benefits cut off for several years.

The result is that it would have better for the injured worker to never have taken any money for the Work Comp settlement.

Make sure that you do not sign any work comp settlement contracts without having them reviewed carefully by and experienced Social Security Disability attorney.

Do you have a work comp injury and are you disabled? Feel free to contact me, Dirk May, an experienced Social Security Disability and Illinois Workers’ Compensation Attorney at 309-827-4371.