Workers Compensation

Injured! What Should I Do?

Dirk May Insurance, Workers Compensation , , ,

Whether it be a work injury or motor vehicle collision there are some basic steps to follow.

Report all injuries. That would be filing a traffic report, or completing a work accident form.

Let your supervisor know or inform your insurance company.

Make a copy of all reports you complete. This will serve as proof you were injured.

Go to the doctor right away. This will remove doubt of the cause of injury.

Inform all medical providers how you were injured and what body parts were injured. This will avoid insurance defenses that something beside the accident in question caused your pain and suffering.

Follow through with all treatment recommendations. This will avoid accusations that you are not hurt as badly as you allege.

Do not give any statements to the insurance company. They can and will be used against you.

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

How Do They Decide My Work Comp Settlement?

Dirk May Workers Compensation ,

Illinois Workers’ Compensation settlements can be mysterious.

How do you determine whether you are getting a fair settlement?

Illinois law requires the settlement to be based on your average weekly wage times 60 percent.

For instance, if you earn $600 a week then 60 percent of that is $360 for a week.

Next the injury is given a total number of weeks.

This depends of the nature of the injury, the type of treatment required and any permanent restrictions that result.

For example, if you have surgery on your knee and it is determined to be worth 20 percent of the leg the result is 43 weeks (215 weeks times .20=43). Each body part is given a total number of weeks by law.

In this example, 43 weeks times 360 weeks equals $15,480.

As you can see someone who has the same injury but with a lower weekly wage will have a lower settlement than the higher wage individual.

Questions about your work comp case? Feel free to call Illinois Workers’ Compensation Attorney Dirk May at 309-827-4371.