Medical expenses are no fun. However, if you got injured while on the job, you may benefit from a worker’s compensation claim. You’re eligible for a worker’s compensation claim if you get injured on the job, as long as it’s not an injury related to psychiatric issues or fighting with other people, or injuries that occur on the way to work.
Your workplace should also provide an active worker’s compensation policy. In the state of Illinois, worker’s compensation is mandatory by law.
To give you a better understanding of what happens during and after you file the forms, we asked Dr. Shoeb Mohiuddin, our expert at Regenerative Pain & Spine.
Understanding the process
After developing a work injury or a work-related disease, you have 45 days to notify your employer about what happened. Next, you have to file a form. You can file the form by yourself, or you could get help from a specialist.
After you’ve answered all of the questions on the form, you must print it out and mail it to the employer and to the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, and keep one copy for yourself. It’s important to have some documentation that acts as proof, including medical bills and witnesses that saw you getting hurt while on the job.
What to expect after filling out the forms
After filing the forms, it takes about two to three weeks to find out whether the claim was accepted or not. The claim can also be disputed by your employer, which may slow down the process.
Your claim will be evaluated by an expert who will review your medical records, ask you to relate what happened at your job, and interview any possible witnesses.
If your claim gets denied, you can either request a reconsideration or file a formal appeal.
Compensation benefits
If your claim is accepted, you may get a salary replacement if you had to take days off from work, coverage of medical expenses, and sometimes the equivalent of sick pay. Usually, it takes a couple of weeks after the claim is accepted to receive your compensation if the case is straightforward.
Learn more about filing a workers’ compensation claim
If you’ve suffered an injury at work or developed a disease as a consequence of your work conditions, contact us to schedule an appointment. Our specialists will examine you, document your condition, and guide you through the process of getting your compensation benefits.
