Legal Question in Workers Comp in Illinois
Do I need a lawyer at the present time?
On July 21 2000, I had a low back work related injury. As a result of that I was out of work for one month. I returned to my work on August 23 2000 after permission of my primary physician and after my pain was reduced to about 20%. The doctor at my work's medical office accepted my return to work after restricting my duties and eliminating my overtime
Possibility is having the permanent nerve damage at L5-S1 level. I am handling my W. C. through my work's medical office. My relationship with my work's medical office and my supervisor is nice
Now my questions are:
�Do I need a lawyer in the present time to protect my rights, which I am not aware about them? Or just wait until the case need to be closed to see what type of settlement the W. C. offers.
�What is the expected value of the settlement if I was making $40000/year, $15000/year overtime, and I am a 50 years old and a father of three children aged 5,3.5, and 2 years old and a not employed wife? I am not asking for exact number.
Thank you very much for taking the time to read my story and answering my questions.
1 Answer from Attorneys
Re: Do I need a lawyer at the present time?
I am an attorney in Chicago who handles Work Comp cases. I cannot give you a direct answer to your question as there are so many variables. But I can tell you that you are communicating with your employer regarding your medical treatment and that provides evidence that helps to reduce the value of any claim that you may have. Apparently you do not need a lawyer now as you seem to be satisfied. However if an offer is made to you, you will have no way of knowing if the offer is fair or not. But I would caution that settling a case is not always the thing to do. You may have physical conditions that may require future care. Only a lawyer familiar with Work Comp and enough medicine can evaluate your case and your condition to advise that you can settle the case or that you should wait. I hope that is helpful. If you would like to discuss your case more fully, you may call me at my toll free number at 1-877-266-7563. Joe Spingola
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