WHAT TO EXPECT DURING YOUR ILLINOIS WORKER’S COMPENSATION CASE

If you have recently been injured as a result of a work-related accident in Illinois (for example neck, back injury, slip, fall, eye, or hand injury), you are probably confused or worried about what step to take next and have lots of important questions on your mind like:

1. Will I be paid for the time I have lost from work?
2. Will my medical bills be paid?
3. Will I be able to see the doctor of my choice or do I have to see a company doctor?
4. What if I can’t return to work?
5. What if my injuries are permanent?
6. Do I really need a lawyer to represent my case or can’t I just work this out with my boss?
7. How will I know that the lawyer I’ve chosen to represent my case is the right lawyer for me and will he/she is strong-willed and able to fight for my rights?
8. If I open a workers’ compensation claim will I lose my job?
9. How will I feed my family in the meantime if I’m not able to work?

If you currently have any of these concerns, then please keep reading this in its entirety, because it will help answer a lot of these questions.

Hello, my name is Robert T. Edens; I have been a workers’ compensation trial lawyer for over twenty years defending the rights of people who were injured on the job.  I have settled over a million dollars in worker’s compensation claims in the past five years.

Being involved with the legal system, I have seen hard-working, honest, unsuspecting people be taken advantage of (that’s right, taken advantage of) by uncaring insurance companies, and doctors you as an employee are forced to see after a work-related injury.  Doctors who say, “you’re O.K.., it’s not that bad, you’re not hurt, you can go back to work in a couple of days.”

If you have been recently injured on the job, there are some “facts” you absolutely need to know before you speak to anyone or sign any document.  This book details some of the critical facts you want to be aware of in order to ensure you protect your rights.

Over the past 20 years, I have encountered many people who have suffered from all types of work-related injuries, however, failed to get the “right” legal advice.  Some of these people haven’t gone to a lawyer because they didn’t know they have the right to compensation, and some are intimidated by meeting with an attorney.

They don’t want to file a workers’ compensation claim because they think that they might lose their job, their health insurance benefits, the time they have put into the company, losing their pension.

Each year, I hear of dozens of cases where injured workers who are entitled to receive compensation for injuries never took action to submit a claim to get what they truly deserve.  In this day and age, doing nothing at all is one of the worst things you can do.

I consider myself to be a fighter, someone who looks out for the small guy.  That’s why I have taken the time to sit down and write this book in plain English without a lot of legal technical jargon.  It makes me sick to my stomach seeing hard-working people who get injured on the job cheated out of what they rightfully deserve because they were intimidated by a big insurance company and were “SOLD” an unfair settlement simply because the company doctor said they really weren’t in bad shape.  Or they were afraid of losing their job.  It’s hard enough to make ends meet these days and getting injured on the job shouldn’t have to make matters worse.