Suffering a Traumatic Brain Injury While Working in Illinois

 Posted on January 06, 2022 in Workers' Compensation

Suffering an injury of any kind at work can be life-altering, and knowing what to do next to protect yourself is essential. Going through the process of a workers’ compensation brain injury case can be very arduous and complex. The process is lengthy because traumatic brain injuries take time to develop and properly diagnose. Most common workplace injuries are preventable but being mindful of any symptoms you may be noticing after an accident and knowing your legal rights if those symptoms continue to worsen is critical.

 Most Common Workplace Injuries

Any injury involving your brain, skull, or scalp is categorized as a head injury. The most common ways these workplace injuries occur are:

• Falling from a height — Falling a significant height off a ladder, roof, or scaffolding can cause serious and sometimes fatal head injuries. Even a fall from a few feet can cause a traumatic brain injury.
• Struck by an object — Head trauma can be caused by flying or falling objects or being struck by a piece of heavy machinery.
• Auto accidents — Many companies have drivers on the road, which increases the likelihood of an accident happening and traumatic injuries taking place.
• Slip and fall — Anything that causes a worker to lose their footing and slip or trip and fall may result in a head injury. 

Symptoms of a Traumatic Brain Injury

The effects of brain injuries don’t always show up immediately and can sometimes take hours or days after an accident for symptoms to show. These symptoms include but are not limited to losing consciousness, headaches that continue to worsen and become more frequent, seizures, sensitivity to light, vomiting or nausea, and memory problems. Some of these symptoms are referred to as “mild” by physicians, but the reality is that no brain injury should be taken lightly.

The Workers’ Compensation Claim Process

Once your employer is informed of the incident, they will provide a list of approved medical professionals for treatment and begin the process with your insurance provider. Your employer has 14 days to either accept or deny an injury claim and has 30 days to file the accident report with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. The benefits that may be available to you include medical expenses, temporary disability benefits, and permanent disability. 

Contact an Arlington Heights Brain Injury Lawyer

If you or a loved one was hurt in a workplace accident, contact our Rolling Meadows workers compensation attorney at Newland & Newland, LLP. For a free consultation, call us at 847-797-8000.

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/injury/default.html

https://www2.illinois.gov/sites/iwcc/Pages/default.aspx