Settlements

Why is Work Comp Denying Me?

Dirk May General, Help, Insurance, Law, Medical, Settlements, Workers Compensation, Workers Compensation Commission

There may be a number of reasons that the Workers’  Compensation Insurance Company is denying your claim.

I have seen many of these reasons given for not paying injured workers or not approving medical treatment:

  • You got hurt somewhere else. It is not work related.
  • You did not treat with a doctor until a long time after your injury.
  • You treated with a doctor, but you stopped treatment and did not start treatment until a long time later.
  • You did not report your injury to work.
  • Your history of injury at work is not recorded in the doctor’s notes.
  • The insurance company doctor says the work accident did not cause your current condition.
  • The insurance company doctor says you are now fine and can return work.

Questions about why Work Comp is not paying you or your bills? Feel free to call me and talk about your case.

Should You Trust the Work Comp Insurance Company?

Dirk May General, Help, Insurance, Law, Medical, Settlements, Workers Compensation

Another example of why you should not always trust what the Workers Comp company offers you for settlement.

Someone called me to ask about their settlement offer. On the surface it appeared to involve a lot of money, but the details of the offer are important.

If you will never work again there are minimum amounts of weekly benefits that must be paid. Some future medical payments can only be used toward medical bills. They cannot be used for any other purpose. Once you compare the details the offer may not be as good as it appears.

If you cannot work again, the money must cover you for the rest of your life. So what looks like a lot of money today may not look so good 5 years down the road.

In Illinois, a settlement based on permanent total disability is worth much more than a typical lump sum settlement.

The insurance company will not willingly pay a perm total settlement. That is their maximum exposure.

Questions about your settlement offer? Feel free to call me to discuss.

Why Won’t Workers Comp Pay me?

Dirk May General, Help, Insurance, Law, Medical, Settlements, Workers Compensation, Workers Compensation Commission

Illinois Worker’s Compensation is certainly frustrating. They are supposed to pay you when you are off work, but they do not. What is going on?

In Illinois, the injured worker has to prove everything. This means you have to prove that you had an accident, that your injury is related to the accident, that you have medical bills, that you are off work, etc.

Many times the Work Comp insurance company disputes that the accident happened, or that it something covered by Workers’ Compensation Law, or that the Doctor has you off work. The Workers Compensation company, of course, benefits from not paying you.

These denials are discouraging, and they hurt your pocket book. You can take the case to trial, but it takes a long time sometimes anywhere from 6 months to 1 year. If Work Comp will not pay you, then your only choice is to go to trial. In some cases you can also seek penalties against the Insurance Company.

Got questions about your Illinois Work Comp case? Feel free to call Illinois Work Comp lawyer Dirk May at 309-827-4371.

Cannot Go Back to Work?

Dirk May Help, Insurance, Law, Medical, Settlements, Workers Compensation, Workers Compensation Commission

What does it mean for Your Illinois Work Comp settlement if you cannot return to work, and what will happen?

  • The insurance company will want to find a job for you at all costs. Why?
  • If you cannot return to work because of your work injuries, then the Work Comp Insurance Company will have to pay you for the rest of your life.
  • The Insurance Company will most likely hire a vocational expert to help you search for a job. The vocational person works for the insurance company, not for you.
  • The job search will take some time and it will be like a full time job for you.

But remember this, if you give up on the search or do not cooperate the value of your settlement will drop dramatically. The Workers’ Compensation insurance company will not have to pay you for the rest of your life.

Problems with your Workers Comp insurance company? Feel free to call me and talk about it.

Work Comp Settlements and Patience

Dirk May Help, Insurance, Law, Settlements, Workers Compensation, Workers Compensation Commission

Does it pay to be patient in Illinois Workers’ Compensation cases?

Look at it this way. The more desperate you appear, the quicker it appears you want your money, the more reluctant you appear to be to go to trial in your case, the easier it is for the Work Comp insurance company to stick to a lower offer. They can sense when you have reached your need to resolve the case.

I realize it is difficult to battle through the stress and to overcome financial problems, but if you cannot fight back against the Work Comp company then you will not be able to be get the full value of your case.

In most cases, the best way to get full value is take the deposition of your doctors. This shows you mean business and locks in your doctor’s favorable testimony.

Questions about your settlement? Feel free to call Illinois Work Comp attorney at 309-827-4371.