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.