Officers injured on the job say they were wrongly denied benefits
On behalf of of Frederick & Hagle posted in Workplace Injuries on Wednesday, August 13, 2014.
When an Illinois employee is injured due to unsafe working conditions or equipment, workers’ compensation benefits can be crucial to their overall recovery. However, two police officers who were injured on the job claim that their benefits were not provided in such a way that permitted them to recover before returning to work. Those in a similar situation who believe that they were wrongly denied their benefits may appeal in an effort to reverse that decision.
The two police officers were injured on separate occasions, although both give a strikingly similar account of what happened afterward. One officer was injured when, while in a squad car, he was struck by a motorist who was driving without a valid license and ultimately failed to yield. He says that he faced undue pressure to return to full, active duty despite the fact that he was still recovering from burns and a spinal-related injury that he suffered in the on-duty wreck. The officer even sought a second opinion, which affirmed that he was not ready to return to full active-duty responsibilities. Despite this, he was unable to continue receiving benefits as he felt necessary.
The second officer, a man who has been employed by the police department for nine years, suffered a broken vertebrae on the job. Despite that, his pre-existing celiac disease was apparently used as the basis for denying his claim. Since the incident, which occurred after he lost consciousness and collapsed in a hallway, he has had to wear a brace on his neck.
In both instances, the officers felt that they were either pressured to return to work early or unfairly denied workers’ compensation benefits despite being injured on the job. Benefits for Illinois employees who suffer an injury in the course of work can be crucial to their continued recovery, both physical and financial. When these types of benefits are wrongly denied, individuals can suffer further. For those who believe that their workers’ compensation benefits were denied based on unfounded reasons, it is important to note that this decision is not necessarily final, and that it is possible to appeal the decision.
Source: azcentral.com, “2 injured Peoria police officers air grievances“, Matthew Casey, Aug. 7, 2014
