Anything from repetitive strain to sudden injuries can lead to serious neck pain, and neck pain can lead to chronic, debilitating problems. Understanding more about the types of neck injuries you can develop can help you better recognize the signs of trouble and...
Rockford Illinois Workers’ Compensation Law Blog
Why do we have a workers’ compensation system in Illinois?
Workers’ compensation systems became more common in European countries and the U.S. during the Industrial Revolution, when businesses began using fossil fuels for energy to power large factories. In these dangerous conditions, many workers faced injury and illness in...
Does your employer increase your risk of on-the-job injuries?
On-the-job injuries affect workers in every sector, but some workers are at a higher risk of injury because of their employers. The same people on whom we depend for paychecks and job security are also responsible for our workplace safety. Should employers fail in...
4 unexpected injuries employees in Illinois can experience on the job
No matter what industry you work in, you face certain hazards in the workplace. If you work in construction, this includes falls from heights; if you work in an office, you might experience carpal tunnel. Because these injuries are commonplace, there are typically...
Will long-term COVID-19 support disability claims for SSDI and SSI?
COVID-19 is often without symptoms or may cause only mild illness. But in about 10% of cases, the patients become “long haulers” whose novel coronavirus symptoms continue after they test negative for the virus, sometimes even for months, according to UC Davis Health....
Trump trying to tighten SSDI eligibility before leaving office
In early December, the Social Security Administration (SSA) proposed amending the regulations that require the agency to consider the impact of older age on the ability to work when defining disability for purposes of eligibility for Social Security Disability...
SSDI claimants with ALS may become able to receive benefits faster
Normally, when the Social Security Administration (SSA) approves a Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) application, the claimant receives their first monthly payment of benefits in the sixth month after the agency found the disability began. This five-month...
Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission’s safety responses to COVID-19
We previously shared information about procedures that the Social Security Administration (SSA) had put into place to make it safer for claimants, the public and their staff during the current pandemic. In that post, we explained that only telephonic administrative...
The path of an Illinois workers’ compensation claim, part 1
In Illinois, when an employee gets a work-related injury or an occupational disease and the impairment is work-related, the exclusive legal remedy. Many people do not know how a workers’ compensation claim begins or the options for review and appeal should the claim...
Illinois workers’ compensation: Misclassifying an employee as a contractor
Imagine the surprise of someone who has worked for an employer under the assumption they were employed in the following situation. The worker suffers an injury on the job, files a workers’ compensation claim and the “employer” refuses to pay the claim because they say...
