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What Should I Do about My Settlement Offer?

Dirk May Help, Illinois Work Comp Attorney, Illinois Work Comp Lawyer , , , , , , , ,

You should always review your settlement offer with a lawyer experienced in Illinois Workers’ Compensation law or personal injury law depending on the type of case you have.

The insurance company may have made a fair offer, but you will not know until a lawyer with knowledge of the law and your case studies it.

The strength and weaknesses of your case are very crucial to determining whether your settlement offer is fair.

Do not rely on friends or family or people who claim to have some knowledge of the work comp or personal injury cases.

They do not not understand the specifics of your case or the law.

For instance, you may experience some pain or limitations after you have had surgery or medical treatment but if you do not have  permanent restrictions from the doctor, the allegations and symptoms are not as strong and may not justify additional settlement money.

Workers’ Compensation cases in Illinois are based on your average weekly wage the year before you were injured.

For instance, a person with the same injury who is a union member will have a higher settlement than a minimum wage worker with the same injury.

You also need to know how your medical bills will be paid as part of the settlement. This is different with personal injury and work comp cases.

Need some guidance with your injury case? Feel free to contact Illinois Workers’ Compensation and personal injury lawyer Dirk May at 309-827-4371.

 

 

Illinois Work Comp Notes

Dirk May Help, Illinois, Law, Workers Compensation , , , , , , , ,

Illinois Work Comp law continues to be in a state of change.

The new Governor has appointed new arbitrators and commissioners and reappointed arbitrators and commissioners and he continues to stump for dramatic changes to the workers’ compensation law.

This has caused a chill in decisions from arbitrators and commissioners and their view of the value of cases.

You must take this into account when deciding whether to settle your case or go to trial.

If you receive a decent settlement offer you should most likely settle your case rather than risk receiving a low award from an arbitrator.

The arbitrator does not know the offers and demands made during the settlement negotiations.

The arbitrator’s decision will be the amount you receive unless there is an appeal of the case, and the appeal can take over one year.

You should discuss your case and your settlement offer with an experienced Illinois Workers’ Compensation lawyer to make sure that you understand all the details and to help you make an informed decision regarding whether to settle or go to trial.

It does not cost you any upfront fees to seek the help of a lawyer. Illinois Workers’ Compensation Attorneys are only paid 20 percent of what you recover at the end of a case.

It makes sense to use a lawyer because the insurance company uses many lawyers against you in its case.

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