Dealing with Insurance Companies in Workers Compensation Cases

According to Illinois workers compensation laws, nearly every worker employed or injured within the state of Illinois or who is employed by a company based in Illinois is covered by the state’s workers compensation laws. Because Illinois is a “no-fault” state, this means that workers who sustain workplace injuries will have a legitimate workers compensation claim, regardless of what entity is technically at fault, and can receive benefits that can help them obtain the medical care they need. While this process sounds fairly simple in theory, in practice, it can be fairly complex, especially for injured workers, as there are a number of forms to complete, specific deadlines to abide by and employers’ insurance companies to deal with.

Avoiding Difficulties Dealing with Insurance Companies

Unfortunately, dealing with insurance company adjusters can be both frustrating and stressful, as these agents don’t care about the needs of injured workers and are trained to:

• Minimize the amount of payouts on claims
• Maximize the insurance company’s profits
• Readily deny legitimate claims for even the most minor missteps or miscommunications.

Some of the ways in which insurance adjusters will attempt to avoid paying injured workers include (but are not limited to):

• Trying to pay out less than the full amount of benefits deserved: One of the most common ways in which adjusters try to avoid paying out the full amount of workers compensation claims is by attempting to pressure injured employees to return to work earlier than they should.
• Not providing coverage for essential medical costs: Adjusters may try to argue that an injured worker failed to go to an appropriate physician; in other cases, adjusters may just flat out deny payment of legitimate medical bills without providing any reasoning. Failure to pay for valid workers compensation medical bills constitutes a violation of Illinois workers compensation laws.
• Outright denying valid workers compensation claims: Insurance company adjusters may try to deny legitimate claims by arguing that the worker’s injury was not sustained at work (or while he was on the job) or that the injured worker failed to disclose the injury to his employer in a timely fashion. In such cases, witness statements, as well as medical reports, can be used as evidence to confirm that the injury did, in fact, occur while the worker was on the job.

Before attempting to deal with an insurance company adjuster in a workers compensation claim, it’s essential that injured employees work with an experienced workers compensation attorney to ensure that their claim is handled as efficiently as possible, their rights are fully represented and they receive all of the benefits they deserve for their injuries and losses.

At the law firm of Hassakis & Hassakis, P.C., our experienced Mount Vernon workers compensation lawyers have been providing client-centered representation to our Southern Illinois clients since 1950. Our trusted attorneys focus on our clients’ needs, and we do everything we can to help them get the maximum possible compensation for their workplace injuries so they can focus on recovery and moving on with their life. If you or a loved one has sustained any type of injury while working, contact us by calling (800)-553-3125 for a free, thorough assessment of your case, along with professional advice regarding the best manner in which to move forward.