A work-related injury can befall anyone at any time. Although people who work with heavy machinery and hazardous material are at a greater risk of injury than office workers, the latter can be hurt on the job and are just as entitled to disability benefits as the former.
As a Chicago resident, you can take advantage of a social safety net that was designed to help injured workers, and that you have paid for through taxes.
Workers Compensation
The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act is quite clear in spelling out the rights of injured workers. You are entitled to having 100{9b91c1395f3eb746aa076993a3e59d4a658edbd62758f37219d4e6cd0e3c1d95} of your medical expenses covered. You get to choose your doctors. You are also entitled to Partial Permanent Disability, or PPD, which is lump settlement paid to you if you suffer from partial loss of the use of a body part. You get Permanent Total Disability, or PTD, which consists of benefits for life if your injury leaves you unable to do any kind of work.
Vocational training and wage loss differential are also included in your benefits.
Social Security Disability Insurance
The federal government also offers you relief. If you have been out of work for 12 consecutive months due to your injury or illness, then you qualify for Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI). This is a program that has also been financed through your tax dollars and was designed to give aid and assistance to workers who are out of a job through no fault of their own.
Sometimes It Takes An Attorney
The rules for receiving disability benefits may seem straightforward. But those who meet the criteria do not always get what they are entitled to. If you are recovering from a work-related injury and qualify for any of the benefits described above, you should not stop pursuing your rights just because your application has been rejected. You should instead hire a disability attorney in Chicago and continue the fight.
Sometimes it takes an attorney to cut through the cloud of jargon and obscure procedure to get you what is rightfully yours. None of the bureaucrats working in the agencies responsible for administering disability benefits has an interest in making your life miserable. It is the inner workings of the system that occasionally prevents a just outcome. Lawyers are trained to spot and correct the errors made by government bureaucrats. Your attorney will act as your advocate as you go up against those who have denied your legitimate claim.
Most of these disputes are settled without recourse to a court trial. The attorney you hire has the knowledge, expertise, and most importantly the language to deal with the other side. You want to ensure that you are working with a lawyer who will be aggressive and effective in getting you all the benefits that you are entitled to. You should feel confident that your counsel will get a result that is in your favor.
You have worked hard all of your life. You are entitled to receive the benefits that you have paid for.