Construction workers have an extremely dangerous job. They work with heavy equipment, toxic substances, and often at great heights. Construction workers may suffer spine injuries, broken bones, amputations, traumatic brain injuries, and other serious injuries. If you or a loved one was hurt on the job while working at a construction site, you may have questions about your legal options. You may wonder if you are entitled to compensation through workers’ compensation and other means. An experienced workers’ compensation attorney can help you explore all of your legal options and sources of potential compensation.

Reimbursement for Medical Expenses and Lost Income Through Workers’ Compensation

Employers with one or more employees are required to carry workers’ compensation in Illinois. The Illinois Workers Compensation Act mandates workers’ compensation insurance and prohibits employees from suing their employers for injuries in most cases. Workers’ compensation is “no-fault” meaning that you do not have to prove that your employer acted negligently in order to be entitled to compensation. You may recover compensation for your medical care as well as partial lost wages from missed work through workers’ compensation.

Compensation Through a Third-Party Claim

Many injured workers do not realize that workers’ compensation is not necessarily the only potential source of reimbursement after a serious work injury. If your injury was caused or contributed to by the negligent actions of a party other than your employer, you may be able to bring a personal injury claim against that party in addition to your workers’ compensation claim. You may be able to recover your full lost wages and medical expenses as well as other damages such as physical pain and mental suffering.

If you have been injured while at work, you understand just how devastating it can be. You have likely built up significant medical costs, lost income because of your time spent away from work, and may not even be able to return to work due to the severity of your injuries. Depending on what state you work in, your workers’ compensation regulations will differ. In Illinois, there is a specific filing process and time limit in which this filing must be completed. Once this time limit is reached, you may be unable to make a workers’ compensation claim. However, with the help of a reputable attorney, you may be able to make a claim even after the time constraints have passed.

Illinois Workers’ Compensation Process

If you have been injured at work, you must report the injury within 48 hours of its occurrence. This will allow the employer to investigate the incident and avoid any further accidents occurring due to the negligent conditions. Reporting the accident in a timely manner will also ensure that your injuries are properly recorded in their most serious severity, not weeks after it occurs and the injuries have begun to heal. You should then receive a medical exam regarding your injuries, even if they are not outwardly apparent. You may have sustained internal injuries depending on your accident. This medical visit will serve as documentation of your injuries from a medical professional. You will have three years to make an official workers’ compensation claim, though it is suggested that you do so as soon as possible. Your workers’ compensation claim can help cover any medical bills, lost time at work, and potentially ongoing expenses in regards to your medical treatment. 

Among the ongoing developments surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic, some good news has emerged for all essential employees in the state of Illinois who are concerned about being exposed to and potentially contracting coronavirus while on the job. Thanks to recent changes in the state's workers’ compensation policies, any essential employee who contracts the virus from the workplace will be covered, based solely on his or her word. This means that workers will not be required to furnish proof that the illness came from the workplace, as they typically would under normal circumstances. 

Recent Changes to Workers’ Compensation Policies

This change in policy at the very least offers essential workers some assurance that should they contract the disease while putting their lives on the line in the service of others, their illness will be taken seriously, and they will have special rights regarding workers’ compensation. If you are an essential worker, and you contract COVID-19 on the job, here is some important information regarding filing a claim:

Winter has always been a season that requires extra safety precautions. Record-breaking cold temperatures and massive snowfall accumulations are becoming more and more common. Because of these dangerous conditions, workplace injuries are more likely to occur, and workers’ compensation claims tend to increase during winter months. During cold weather, you can take steps to protect your safety, but if an injury does occur, you should work with an attorney to determine your legal options.

Workplace Injuries Related to Cold Weather

During the winter, there are many different types of workplace injuries that can occur because of cold temperatures and hazardous conditions. In addition to the risks of slip-and-fall injuries due to icy and snowy working conditions, workers are also in danger of the following cold stress injuries:

When an employee is significantly injured at work, people may assume that their employer will be more than willing to pay out the workers’ compensation payments to which they are entitled. However, this is not always the case, even in a state such as Illinois in which workers’ comp benefits are mandated. In reality, many companies will do whatever they can to avoid paying workers’ compensation benefits in full, or they may attempt to avoid making these payments altogether. However, since employees commonly experience workplace injuries, it is important to understand the steps you can take to ensure you will receive the compensation you and your family deserve if you are hurt on the job. 

Frequent Workplace Injuries 

While injuries in the workplace vary across different industries, there are a number of serious incidents that are common throughout all lines of work. Slip and fall injuries are some of the most common workplace incidents that can come with significant health ramifications. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, slips and falls resulted in the death of more than 800 workers throughout the United States in 2016 alone. Falls are increasingly common in the construction industry, where employers often fail to adhere to nationally recognized safety standards and OSHA regulations. In other fields, poorly lit rooms or poorly maintained stairways can be the culprit in a slip and fall.