Job accident in Illinois? Stop listening to non-attorneys.

One of the most common mistakes people make when they are hurt on the job is they take legal advice from people that aren't attorneys or from lawyers who don't focus their practice on work injuries.  In the past few months I've heard the following:

-"Why aren't we going for punitive damages?"

-"I also want to sue them for negligence,"

-"I am expecting that we will get millions from this."

There are no punitive damages in Illinois workmans compensation.  You can't sue your employer for negligence and no work injury case would be worth millions.  All of these people said these things and started off with something like: "According to my cousin . . ."

We never discourage our clients from asking questions.  We'll explain anything and everything and we always tell it to you straight.  Go ahead and search the internet for answers. Ask your neighbor questions about their work injury.  But if you let the advice of others mess withy our head, you are usually asking for trouble.

The #1 thing we hear is something like, "My neighbor had a similar injury and his case was worth $30,000.00 more."  If that happened it's one of four things: 1. Your neighbor earned a lot more than you; 2. Your neighbor had a more serious injury or couldn't return to his usual job; 3. Your neighbor's injury was really nothing like yours; 4. Your neighbor is a liar.

Again, don't be afraid to ask questions.  But listen to what we are telling you and why.  Let us work with you and act as a team with you.