Chicago Eye Injury Lawyer
Our eyes are probably our most important and most delicate sensory organs. Most people use their eyes all day every day, but they use their other senses as needed. Furthermore, the outer ear protects the inner ear, the mouth protects the tongue, and so on. But eyes only have thin eyelids for protection. This combination puts people at risk for a serious work-related injury.
The experienced Chicago eye injury lawyers at Connolly Injury Law routinely handle these matters in Cook County and nearby jurisdictions. So, we are familiar with all the applicable rules of court. This familiarity includes the written and unwritten rules. That’s the kind of advocate you want when the opponent is a stingy insurance company. Your injury claim is far too important to be a lawyer’s training exercise.
Types of Eye Injuries
Office workers are susceptible to various eye diseases. Computer Vision Syndrome is a good example. Most of these workers spend pretty much all day at their computers. At that level of exposure, it doesn’t take long for the blue light waves to cause a serious eye injury. Frequent breaks are about the only way to prevent CVS, and frequent breaks often aren’t an option.
Occupational disease claims often involve pre-existing conditions and delayed injury reports. Full compensation is usually available in these situations.
Many people have old eye injuries or illnesses which never fully healed. Other words have certain genetic predispositions. Generally, insurance companies cannot use these weaknesses as an excuse to reduce, delay, or deny compensation. These victims, perhaps more than any others, badly need the benefits that workers’ compensation provides.
Furthermore, most workers do not run to the doctor when they must adjust the font size on their computers or get thicker glasses. When they do see a doctor, they normally don’t connect their eye problem with their work environment. Legally, these victims need not file claims until they know the full extent of their illness and connect that illness to a job condition.
Trauma injuries usually involve an eye poke or flash of light. Even if the victim was partially responsible for the injury, or entirely responsible for it, workers’ compensation usually still pays.
Compensation Available
Our Chicago eye injury lawyers make the insurance company pay medical expenses and replace lost wages.
The workers’ compensation medical bill payment benefit usually includes all reasonably necessary medical bills. Some examples include:
- Emergency care,
- Follow-up treatment,
- Transportation expenses, like medevac or ambulance costs,
- Prescription drugs,
- Medical devices, and
- Physical or occupational therapy.
Workers’ compensation also covers all reasonable future medical expenses. So, a Chicago eye injury lawyer cannot settle a workers’ comp case too soon. If that happens, the settlement might not fully reflect all future medical bills, and victims could be financially responsible for these charges.
If the eye injury is temporarily disabling, workers’ compensation usually pays two-thirds of the victim’s average weekly wage until the victim can go back to work. The AWW calculation includes past wages and future losses, such as missed performance bonus targets or overtime opportunities.
Permanently disabled victims usually receive a lump-sum payment. The amount depends on the nature and extent of the disability.
Connect with a Savvy Cook County Eye Injury Lawyer
Job-related injury victims are entitled to significant compensation. For a free consultation with an experienced eye injury attorney in Chicago, contact Connolly Injury Law. Home, virtual, and hospital visits are available.
