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Here are a few tips for What Not to do for Your Illinois Workers’ Compensation case.

Do not forget to file an injury report as soon as possible. Why stack the deck against yourself. Establish your injury right away.

Do not forget to tell your boss about your injury. Cover all your bases.

Do not forget to give a clear and complete description of your injury to your doctor. You may even ask the doctor to repeat what you told her. This is the number one item that Work Comp arbitrator’s look at in deciding your case.

Do not delay in seeing your doctor. Set up a doctor visit the same day or within 1 to 2 days. Why give the insurance company grounds to deny you?

Do not forget to get off work slips from your doctor. The injured worker must prove that she missed work with doctor’s notes.

Do not miss your IME appointment. The insurance company can cut off your benefits if you fail to attend the doctor appointment they schedule for you.

Do not get mad during your hearing. It never helps take out your frustration on the Judge or the other attorney. Politeness usually wins the day.

Here are a few tips to help you out in your Social Security Disability Case.

Do not get mad at the Social Security employees. They are the people who see you first. Some make notes about your case and what you do when you apply. Why make unnecessary enemies?

Do not neglect to fill out your forms. The initial decision is based on the doctors you see. Tell Social Security about all your doctors so they can get all your records. The activities of daily living report is your chance to explain all the problems you have around the house.

Do not blow off the Social Security Doctors. You must attend the appointments Social Security arranges for you. Why risk an automatic denial.

Do not be lazy about seeing your doctor. Social Security is all about the medical records. Why risk being denied just because you do not want to spend the time to see your doctor.

Do not forget to tell the medical staff about all your problems. If you do not tell the doctor about your problems Social Security will ignore you.

Do not yell at the Social Security Judge. It is not the Judge’s fault that it takes such a long time to get a hearing. Why make the person who is going to make a very important decision in your life irritated with you.

Will the Workers’ Compensation Insurance company pay for you to go to school to get new skills?

Rule number 1: It does not hurt to ask.

But what if Work Comp says no?

Dig in for the long fight.

They will throw some money at you to make you go away.

You must be ready to show that you are serious.

You will have to find a vocational specialist who will testify that you are a good candidate for rehabilitation through schooling, and that short of schooling you will be stuck in a low wage job.

You will have to be willing to work at actually going to school, and seeking out jobs that prove your true market value without the education.

It will be worth it in the long run because if you have a goal and the schooling gets you there you will not be defined through your work injury and what some insurance company thinks is the value of your case.

Your additional education will add money to your future earnings for many years, and it will provide you with the satisfaction of doing what is valuable to you.