No matter what industry you work in, there’s always a chance of getting hurt while on the job. Work-related injuries are incredibly common, and they can cause a lot of issues for the injured parties.
From lost wages to medical bills, permanent disability and more, there are a number of things that can cause financial and other hardships for injured workers. If you’ve been injured at work in Illinois, it’s important to know what to expect when you file a workers compensation claim.
Of course, an experienced work injury attorney can be of great help, but it’s also beneficial to be informed yourself so that you can navigate the potentially confusing and stressful time.
Work injuries or work accidents are accidents or tasks performed at ones job that lead to injury, including diseases and death. Work injuries are handled differently than workplace diseases, so for today’s purposes, let’s talk about work injuries more specifically.
More than 337 million accidents happen at workplaces each year, resulting in more than 2.3 million deaths per year. These injuries can be sustained at one time or occur over a periods of time (i.e. repetitive motion injuries).
Workplace injuries can happen for a number of reasons. Accidents are typically caused by unsafe behavior, unsafe conditions, or negligence. It is in employers’ interest to maintain a safe workplace, as they will be less liable for legal action, they’ll have a better reputation as a business, and they will have reduced absence rates and lowered costs.
There are a number of workplace injuries that happen regularly in the United States. When you’re trying to determine whether the injury you have sustained while working in the Flossmoor, Evanston or Chicago area is eligible for worker’s compensation, a good way to do so is to compare your injuries to the most common workplace injuries.
Some of the most common workplace injuries that occur in cities in Illinois including Des Plaines, Skokie, Oak Forest, Cicero, Chicago, and more are:
If you have gotten hurt at work, the first thing you should do is notify your employer of the injury. This should be done as soon as it occurs, if possible, but of course, seeking medical attention should take precedence if necessary.
Report your work injury to your employer in Orland Park, Morton Grove, Niles, or anywhere else in Illinois as soon as you can. It’s best to do so within seven days of the injury’s occurrence.
Seek medical care if you need to, and when you do, let hospital or office staff know that your injury is work related. Sometimes, your employer will require workplace injuries to be attended to by certain facilities or doctors. Make sure to retain all the documents related to your injury’s medical bills.
Contact a work injury attorney after you seek medical attention. Once you are at home recovering, you can work on building a case for worker’s compensation in Midlothian, Hazel Crest, Blue Island, and other Illinois cities.
At Vasilatos Injury Law, we’re experienced work injury attorneys serving communities in the Evanston area, around Flossmoor, and in Chicago.
Contacting a work injury attorney can be very beneficial as they will be able to explain to you what to expect from your case, such as what type of compensation to fight for, the statute of limitations, and how much you might expect to receive for your injury.
There are three main types of compensation that you can fight for in your Illinois workers’ compensation case. These are:
Your workers’ compensation lawyer will be able to explain the differences and help you determine which one to fight for.
After you seek medical care, an insurance carrier will open a benefits claim using reports from your doctor and employer. If the claim is found to be compensable, they’ll discuss the case with both the employer and the injured party.
The three parties will then discuss and negotiate an agreeable rate of pay for the injured employee to receive while they are out of work.
Rejected claims are not the end of the line, however. If your claim is rejected, there is still the opportunity to appeal the claim.
To discuss your work injury case with a work injury attorney in Evanston, Chicago, or Flossmoor, or the surrounding areas, including Highwood, Dolton, Calumet City, Sauk Village, Tinley Park, Lincolnwood and more, contact Vasilatos Injury Law today.