Guidance often needed for workers’ compensation benefits

On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Workers’ Compensation on Friday, March 13, 2015.

Employees who have suffered a serious or disabling injury while at work are typically entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits. However, filing for benefits after being injured on the job requires a certain attention to detail and timelines. Whether you were injured through repetitive trauma or a one-time accident, the process for seeking workers’ compensation benefits is the same.

First and foremost, we hope that all injured workers in Illinois seek and obtain related medical care as soon as possible. Prompt medical treatment can be invaluable when it comes to overall recovery. Next, make sure that your employer is aware of the incident and your related injury. This must be done in the 30 days following it.

Those steps are the precursors to the actual paperwork involved with filing for benefits. While filling out the related paperwork, make sure that you have copies on hand of any and all medical records or other proof of your injuries. If you don’t have a copy, try contacting the health care provider who examined you to obtain the necessary copies.

We know that going through this process while recovering from an injury can feel overwhelming, but it does not have to be. Our clients often benefit from the time and attention that we give to each individual and his or her workers’ compensation benefits application. With so much on the line, few people in Illinois have the time or resources to waste on an appeal, which means that getting it as accurate as possible the first time is important.