Healthcare Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
You care for other people every day. When you’re the one who gets hurt on the job, you shouldn’t have to worry about how you’ll pay your medical bills, replace your lost income, or navigate the workers’ compensation system on your own.
Whether you injured your back lifting a patient, slipped during a busy shift, suffered a needlestick injury, or developed an illness after workplace exposure, you may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits under Illinois law. A healthcare workers’ compensation lawyer at our firm can help you understand your options and protect your right to the benefits available to you.
At Ankin Law, we’ve helped injured workers across Illinois pursue the benefits they need after workplace accidents. We understand the physical demands healthcare professionals face every day and the challenges that can follow a serious injury. While you focus on your recovery, our team can handle the legal process, communicate with the insurance company, and work to move your claim forward.
“Healthcare workers spend their careers helping others recover. If you were hurt while doing your job, you deserve straight answers about your rights and someone who will stand beside you throughout the workers’ compensation process. That’s why we’re here.”
— Attorney Howard Ankin
If your workplace injury has affected your health, your income, or your ability to continue working, call Ankin Law at (312) 600-0000 for a free consultation.
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How Our Healthcare Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Can Help You
After a workplace injury, your focus should be on getting better. You should not be worrying about fighting with an insurance company. Unfortunately, filing a workers’ compensation claim isn’t always as straightforward as it should be. Your employer may question how your injury happened. The insurance company may delay benefits or dispute the medical treatment your doctor recommends. You may even wonder whether your injury qualifies for workers’ compensation at all.
That’s where our healthcare workers’ compensation lawyers can help.
Our team can:
- Review how your injury happened
- Explain your rights under Illinois workers’ compensation law
- Gather medical records and other evidence that supports your claim
- Communicate with your employer and its insurance company
- Help you pursue the full workers’ compensation benefits available in your case
- Represent you if your claim is delayed, disputed, or denied
We take the time to understand your situation, answer your questions, and develop a strategy based on your needs, and not a one-size-fits-all approach.
Why Healthcare Workers Face a Higher Risk of Injury
Your job is physically demanding. Every shift may require you to lift patients, move medical equipment, respond to emergencies, or remain on your feet for hours at a time. Even when you follow safety procedures and perform your job carefully, accidents can still happen.
As a healthcare worker, you face risks that many other employees don’t. Depending on where you work, you may be exposed to contagious illnesses, aggressive patients, hazardous materials, or repetitive physical tasks that place constant stress on your body.
These risks affect workers in many healthcare settings, including:
- Hospitals
- Nursing homes
- Assisted living facilities
- Rehabilitation centers
- Medical offices
- Outpatient clinics
- Home healthcare agencies
Whether your injury happened during one shift or it developed over months or years of physically demanding work, you may have the right to pursue workers’ compensation benefits.
Common Injuries Healthcare Workers Experience
Some workplace injuries happen in an instant. Others develop gradually after years of lifting, bending, pushing, pulling, and performing repetitive tasks. Regardless of how your injury occurred, you shouldn’t ignore your symptoms or assume they’ll improve on their own.
Back, Neck, and Shoulder Injuries
If you’ve ever helped lift or reposition a patient, you know how physically demanding your job can be. Even when proper lifting techniques are used, repeated strain can lead to herniated discs, muscle tears, chronic back pain, shoulder injuries, and neck injuries that make it difficult to continue working.
Slip-and-Fall Injuries
Busy healthcare facilities can quickly become hazardous. Wet floors, recently cleaned surfaces, loose cords, and crowded hallways all increase the risk of slips and falls. These accidents can leave you with broken bones, torn ligaments, head injuries, or injuries that require surgery and months of rehabilitation.
Needlestick Injuries
If you experienced a needlestick injury while administering medication, drawing blood, or handling medical equipment, you may require immediate testing, treatment, and ongoing monitoring. These injuries can expose you to serious bloodborne illnesses and create significant emotional stress while you wait for test results.
Exposure to Infectious Diseases
Caring for sick patients means you may come into contact with bacteria, viruses, and other contagious illnesses as part of your job. If you developed a work-related illness because of that exposure, workers’ compensation benefits may be available to help cover your medical care and time away from work.
Repetitive Stress Injuries
If your job requires you to move patients, push equipment, chart medical information, or perform the same motions throughout every shift, those repetitive activities can eventually lead to conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, tendonitis, or chronic joint pain. These cumulative trauma injuries can qualify for workers’ compensation just like injuries caused by a sudden accident.
Workplace Violence Injuries
Healthcare workers face one of the highest rates of workplace violence in the country. Patients or visitors may become confused, frightened, or combative, leading to unexpected assaults that cause serious injuries. If you were hurt while performing your job duties, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits regardless of who caused the incident.
Can You Receive Workers’ Compensation Benefits as a Healthcare Worker?
If your injury arose out of and during the course of your employment, you may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits under Illinois law.
Depending on your circumstances, benefits may include:
- Medical treatment related to your injury
- Temporary total disability benefits while you recover
- Permanent disability benefits
- Vocational rehabilitation if you cannot return to your previous position
- Mileage reimbursement for medical appointments
The benefits available depend on the nature of your injury and how it affects your ability to work.
What if Your Workers’ Compensation Claim Is Denied?
Insurance companies do not approve every claim. Your employer or its insurance carrier may argue that your injury happened outside of work, resulted from a pre-existing condition, or is not as serious as your medical records indicate.
If your claim has been denied, you still have options.
Our healthcare workers’ compensation lawyers can review the reasons for the denial, gather additional evidence, and represent you throughout the appeals process. Taking action quickly can help protect your right to receive benefits.
What You Should Do After a Workplace Injury
The steps you take after an injury can affect your workers’ compensation claim.
You should:
- Report the injury to your employer immediately
- Seek medical treatment as soon as possible
- Follow your doctor’s recommendations
- Keep records of your medical care and missed work
- Speak with a workers’ compensation lawyer before accepting a settlement or signing paperwork from the insurance company
Early action can help preserve important evidence and reduce unnecessary delays.
Why Healthcare Workers Choose Ankin Law
A workplace injury can leave you with questions about your health, your job, and your financial future. You should not have to navigate the workers’ compensation process on your own.
At Ankin Law, we understand the challenges healthcare workers face after an injury. We investigate your claim, explain your options in plain language, and handle the legal process while you focus on your recovery. Whether your injury happened during a single shift or developed over years of physically demanding work, we are prepared to advocate for your interests every step of the way.
Frequently Asked Questions About Healthcare Workers’ Compensation
Healthcare workers often have questions about their rights after a workplace injury. Below are answers to some of the questions we hear most often.
Can nurses receive workers' compensation benefits?
Yes. Nurses who suffer work-related injuries or occupational illnesses may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. Whether your injury resulted from lifting patients, a slip and fall, repetitive stress, or exposure to infectious diseases, you may be entitled to medical treatment and wage replacement benefits if the injury is related to your job.
Can I receive workers' compensation if I hurt my back lifting a patient?
In many cases, yes. Back injuries are among the most common workplace injuries for healthcare workers. Even if your injury developed after repeatedly lifting or repositioning patients over time rather than during one specific incident, you may still qualify for workers’ compensation benefits under Illinois law.
What happens if I was exposed to an infectious disease at work?
Healthcare workers who contract certain illnesses because of workplace exposure may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. Whether your illness is covered depends on the facts surrounding your exposure, your job duties, and the available medical evidence connecting the illness to your work.
Do I need a lawyer for a workers' compensation claim?
While you are not required to hire a lawyer, legal representation can be valuable if your claim is denied, your benefits are delayed, your injury is serious, or the insurance company disputes your case. A lawyer can protect your rights throughout the claims process and work to pursue all benefits available under Illinois law.
Contact a Healthcare Workers’ Compensation Lawyer at Ankin Law Today
If you were injured while working in a hospital, nursing home, clinic, or another healthcare facility, you do not have to face the workers’ compensation process alone.
Call Ankin Law at (312) 600-0000 for a free consultation.