Q: I hurt my hand at work and broke a bone. How much should I expect Workmans comp to settle for after it gets better?
They only pay me 60 something percent of my pay because of covid. We dont have lright duty which pay 80%. So it took them 3 weeks to see the broken bone in the mri. I'm missing lots of double right now at work. And the money I get barely pays any Bill's. How do I calculate pain and suffering? I make $26.23 a hour, and for the last few months they pay double time instead of time and a half because of the amount of work at our union truck company.
A:
You need an experienced attorney.
For Illinois Workers' Compensation claims, you will ALWAYS cheat yourself if you do not hire experienced counsel. You will have someone to guide you through the process AND when it is time to settle, an attorney can add value to your case IN EXCESS of his fee. In the last few years, employers are making the argument that when you settle a case without an attorney, your already low settlement should be further reduced by 20% so that you do not get a “windfall.” Representing yourself in Illinois is a lose-lose proposition. When you are represented, you have fewer headaches AND you get more money. It really is a no-brainer.
There is no such thing as "pain and suffering" in Workers' Compensation claims. The amount that is fair for settlement will depend on the deficits from your injury (e.g. loss of grip strength, lost range of motion, loss of light sense touch, and persistent pain). We can calculate the range more precisely with more information. Please call us at 312-465-2914.
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