All of us who live and work in Chicago value our livelihoods. It is a vital part of the American dream to earn a fair wage while contributing to our city’s economic structure. When a workplace injury takes any one of us away from the workforce, the repercussions trickle down in ways we do not always understand. For the victim of a work injury, these repercussions are immediate and frightfully close to home.

If you are like most Chicago residents, you rely on a steady income to keep your family housed, fed and clothed. An interruption in your income can likely threaten your way of life. The government understands this, which is why the worker’s compensation system exists. However, like most organized systems, workers’ compensation is far from perfect, meaning some claims may fall through the cracks.

When maintaining an income is one of your most important goals after being injured on the job, you may benefit from workers’ compensation legal assistance. A lawyer can help you in many ways during this trying time from handling the paperwork associated with a claim to helping you challenge a denied claim.

Another way an attorney can help is by advising you on whether or not you have grounds to file a third-party claim against a negligent entity (contractor, equipment manufacturer, etc.) that may have contributed to your injury. If you are eligible for a third-party negligence claim, it does not mean you are not entitled to workers’ compensation as well. Rather, it means that you may qualify for both claims at the same time.

Bottom line: Risking your income by ignoring your injury is unwise. Please see our website if you need more information on workers’ compensation in Illinois.