In Illinois, workers’ compensation falls under a no-fault category, and this means that if you have gotten hurt or ill at work as a result of the task you undertook, you may be eligible to receive compensation. Whether or not your actions contributed to your injury, you can file a compensation claim. If you or a loved one has been injured working in Illinois, the law offices of Lamb, Caroll, Papp and Cunabaugh can help you secure the compensation you deserve. We have the experience and information you need to successfully file a claim and are ready to talk to you.
Insurance companies provide workers’ compensation to assist people who get hurt on the job by paying for medical expenses, lost wages, and associated costs. If you have been injured at work, you may be entitled to compensation and can legally apply to fight for it if you are denied. This article shares guidelines for filing a claim in Illinois. Read on to find out.
Guidelines for filing for workers’ compensation in Illinois
The one thing to be most careful about in filing for workers’ compensation is the statute of limitations on filing. You should know that your employer must be informed of your injury no later than 45 days after its occurrence. While you still have up to three years to file a claim with the court, the timelines for each are different. Exceeding these timelines will reduce the weight of your claim in court.
Asides from this, proper filing is also a prerequisite to a successful claim. While you may be able to do this yourself, you should know that you are better off with an expert litigation attorney doing the filing for you. If you are handling it yourself, note the following
- You will need to file for your claim no later than three years after you got injured.
- Ensure that your signature is notarized and that you have copies of the application in your possession
- The better the questions on your application are answered, the better your chances of filing successfully.
- Your employer should have a signed copy of your application either by mail or electronically
- You will need three copies of the application sent to the workers’ compensation commission.
If you are worried about how filing a compensation claim may look to your employers, you should consider talking to an attorney to handle the conversation and negotiations on your behalf. Mistakes with filing can cost you the legitimacy of your claim and cause you to lose out on compensation; this is why you need a seasoned attorney with experience in workers’ compensation claims. Insurance companies will most likely put up a hard time denying the validity of your claim. This is another reason that getting a good workers’ compensation lawyer is indispensable. An expert lawyer can negotiate for you outside the court and firmly defend your interests in court should the need arise. If you need an attorney skilled in this type of litigation, contact us here.