Chicago Workers’ Compensation Lawyers

The first workers’ compensation law in Illinois was enacted in 1912. The law was meant to provide injured workers and surviving family members of those who were killed on the job with a surefire means to obtain compensation for the financial impact caused by workplace accidents or exposures. In return, employers who carry the insurance are granted immunity from personal injury lawsuits – even if the employer’s negligence contributed to the injury. The no-fault system also protects the injured employee, granting him or her the right to receive benefits even if the victim’s actions caused the accident.

There are a few exceptions to the rule, however.

• Intentional misconduct of the employer: If your employer’s intentional acts caused you to sustain injuries while on the job in Illinois, you have the right to bring a civil suit against the employer or accept workers’ compensation benefits. You cannot accept both forms of compensation, however. For an injured worker to avoid the dismissal of a personal injury lawsuit based on exclusive remedy, it must be alleged that the injury sustained was the result of an intentional tort, not an accident.

• Employer’s lack of required insurance: If your employer failed to maintain the workers’ compensation insurance required under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, you have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against the employer to recover for your losses.
• Latent injuries: In May of 2019, the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act and the Workers’ Occupational Diseases Act were amended, allowing workers who are diagnosed with work-related latent injuries to sue their employers directly in civil court if the injuries manifest after 25 years.
• Self-inflicted injury or death: If the employee commits an intentional act that causes his or her workplace injury, his or her losses are not compensable.
• Employee’s violation of the law: If an employee is injured while violating the law, those workplace injuries are not compensable.
• Employee Intoxication: No workers’ compensation benefits are payable if the employee was intoxicated (alcohol or drugs) when the injury occurred and the intoxication was the proximate cause of the worker’s injury or death.

If you sustained accidental injuries that arose out of and in the course of your employment, there are a number of steps you must take to ensure you are appropriately compensated for lost wages and medical bills. If you fail to follow these steps, you could be barred from recovering for your losses.

• Report Your Injuries to Your Employer – Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, you have just 45 days from the time of your accident to notify your employer that you were injured. If you fail to notify your employer within the allotted 45 days, your claim will likely be barred and you will not be able to recover compensation for your losses. While you are permitted to inform your employer orally, our workers’ compensation lawyers recommend that you provide written notice of your injuries. This ensures that you have hard evidence that notification was provided on time.
• Seek Medical Assistance Right Away – It is imperative that you seek medical attention as soon as possible after a workplace injury or exposure. This applies even if you don’t initially believe that you’ve been seriously injured since the severity of some injuries may not be apparent for hours or even days after the accident. The American College of Emergency Physicians asserts that the first 60 minutes after an injury occurs are the most crucial in determining your recovery. Even if your employer has a network of preferred providers for workers’ compensation cases, you have the right to obtain the medical treatment you need right away. If you are severely injured, call an ambulance or go to the nearest emergency room or urgent care clinic.
• Inform Your Medical Team About the Circumstances of Your Injury – It is important to inform your treating physician about the nature and circumstances of your injury. Notifying your medical team that you were injured at work ensures that billing correspondence is sent through the proper channels.

• Document the Injury as Accurately as Possible – It is also important to document your workplace injury as thoroughly as possible. Your co-workers, supervisors, and/or any other witnesses may be able to assist you by taking photos or videos of the scene and any equipment or vehicles that were involved in your accident. Gathering this evidence can help your workers’ compensation lawyer ensure your case is successful.
• Ensure Your Employer Submits the Injury Report – If you were injured on the job in Illinois, your employer is required to submit an injury report to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. The report should contain detailed information about your accident and should include your personal information, when and where the accident happened, how you were injured, and what injuries you sustained.
• Contact a Workers’ Compensation Lawyer in Chicago – Seeking help from a workers’ comp lawyer in Chicago is the best way to ensure that your rights are protected and you are fully compensated for your injuries. Our work injury lawyers offer free consultations to discuss your case, answer any questions you might have, and offer legal advice about how to proceed after your accident.
• Be Discreet – Insurance companies will stop at nothing to avoid paying a work injury claim. They may have investigators review your social media posts, come to your home, or even follow you to places you frequent.
• Know Your Rights – It is illegal for your employer to harass, threaten, or punish you for filing a workers’ compensation claim. If your employer withholds a promotion or terminates your employment because you filed a claim, your employer is breaking the law.

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 Some Chicago workers are covered under different worker protection laws. If you are a railroad worker, a Chicago police officer or firefighter, or you perform your work duties on the waterways of Illinois, you may be covered under the following programs instead of the Illinois Workers Compensation System.

FELA

The Federal Employers’ Liability Act, commonly referred to as FELA, is designed to cover railroad workers in Illinois. Unlike filing a claim within the no-fault workers’ compensation system, bringing a work injury claim under FELA requires that the injured worker prove that the employer’s negligence caused the employee’s injuries. While the burden of proof exists in a FELA claim, however, the benefits an injured worker is entitled to receive are expanded to include compensation for 100% of lost wages, medical expenses, pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, and more.

The Jones Act

Employees who work on the waterways of Illinois are covered by the Jones Act. Under the Act, employer negligence must be demonstrated for a claim to be successful. Injured workers who can prove employer negligence may be entitled to receive compensation for medical bills, past and future economic losses, pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, and more. Injured workers may also be entitled to a daily allowance while they recover.

City of Chicago Police Officers

While most police officers in Illinois are covered by the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act, those who are employed in the city of Chicago are not entitled to these benefits. Instead, three other types of benefits are available to City of Chicago police officers who are injured.

• Ordinary Disability Benefits: These benefits are available to those who are injured outside of the line of duty. They are only available if the officer or firefighter is disabled for more than 30 days and not eligible to receive his or her regular salary. Officers are entitled to one year of disability benefits for every four years of service – not to exceed five years. Compensation is equal to 50% of the officer’s pre-injury salary.
• Duty Disability Benefits: Chicago police officers who sustain a disabling injury in the line of duty are eligible to receive Duty Disability Benefits if they are not eligible to receive their regular salary. Generally, these benefits are equal to 75% of the injured officer’s pre-injury salary but exceptions may apply. The benefits can be reduced to 50% of the injured officer’s pre-accident salary in some cases.
• Occupational Disease Benefits: City of Chicago police officers who have at least 10 years of service and suffer a heart attack or other disabling heart condition may be eligible for Occupational Disease Benefits if they are not eligible for Duty Disability Benefits. These officers can receive 65% of their salary.

Chicago’s Most Dangerous Industries to Work

Although Chicago workers can be seriously injured or killed in almost any occupation, some industries are significantly more dangerous than others. Some of the most dangerous jobs in Chicago include:

• Manufacturing
• Construction Industry
• Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing & Hunting
• Private Air Transportation
• Nursing and Healthcare
• Ground Transportation
• Government Transit Services
• Warehousing and storage

Occupations with the Most Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses

BLS injury statistics for 2019 revealed that the following occupations had the highest work-related injury rates per 10,000 full-time equivalent workers (FTE).

• Nursing assistants saw about 370 work-related injuries per 10,000 FTE in 2019
• Commercial truck drivers followed closely with 360 incidents per 10,000 FTE
• Laborers and freight, stock, and material movers accounted for approximately 350 injury incidents per 10,000 FTE

While the BLS reported that work injuries were significantly more common than on-the-job illnesses, their survey indicated that the occupations with the highest rates of injuries were also those with the most illnesses – for the most part.

While some workers’ comp claims include minor injuries like sprains, strains, and simple fractures, others are more serious, permanently altering the lives of victims and their families. Some of the more common workplace injuries our law firm sees include:

• Repetitive Stress Injuries – When Chicago workers are required to perform repetitive tasks for an extended period of time, they risk suffering repetitive stress injuries. Carpal tunnel syndrome, for example, is a common repetitive stress injury among office workers. Likewise, laborers who stalk shelves of heavy boxes or other items may suffer from chronic back pain.

• Occupational Illnesses – Many occupational illnesses arise from toxic chemicals, loud noise, and other hazards in Chicago workplaces.  As a result, many workers acquire hearing loss, serious skin conditions, respiratory diseases, and even chemical poisoning. When an employee’s preexisting condition is worsened by conditions in the workplace, that person may qualify for workers’ compensation as well.
• Physical Injuries – A wide range of physical injuries can occur in the workplace. While minor injuries like cuts and bruises generally heal on their own, serious injuries from falls, electrocutions, explosions and fires, equipment malfunctions, and even assaults can be deadly. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, falls are the most common cause of fatality accidents on the job.

The Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers at Ankin Law have a record of excellence. With a 99% success rate in personal injury,

workers’ compensation, and Social Security Disability cases, our team is results-driven, experienced, and knows what it takes to help you recover