Illinois Garbage Truck Driver Injury Lawyer
Sanitation workers make up a significant part of the Illinois workforce. And while people outside the industry may not realize it, garbage truck drivers and other sanitation workers face a number of hazards that lead to work-related injuries. Fortunately, workers’ compensation law protects all workers including garbage truck drivers. But even the garbage collector sometimes needs a legal hand in getting what they are owed under the law. Illinois garbage truck driver injury lawyer Mark Connolly and his team at Connolly Injury Law can help if you need representation following a workplace accident.
We Understand the Hazards of Trash Collection
We all recognize that garbage collection is an essential service to society. What many of us do not realize, however, is just how dangerous the work can be for the garbage truck drivers and collectors. Here are just a few examples of how sanitation workers can be hurt on the job:
- A collector can injure their back or shoulders while lifting a garbage can.
- Collectors who are required to stand at the back of the garbage truck may fall or injure their knees, legs, or ankles as they constantly hop on-and-off the vehicle.
- Collectors can slip on a wet or icy road during poor weather conditions.
- Drivers and collectors may become ill due to exposure to chemicals and other hazardous waste.
- Drivers and collectors may be seriously injured–even killed–if they are hit by another vehicle whose driver acts recklessly.
Not all job-related injuries are acute, either. Many garbage truck drivers find they need to file for workers’ comp due to a chronic health condition aggravated by years of sitting in a truck that needs to constantly stop hundreds of times per day. Workers’ compensation covers this and many other types of workplace injuries and illnesses.
Contact Connolly Injury Law Today
The process of initiating a workers’ compensation claim falls to the employee, who must notify their employer or supervisor as soon as possible. Under Illinois law, this notice should take place no later than 45 days following an accident. Once notified, the employer is then required to pay for any necessary first aid and medical care and notify its insurer of the claim. If the employee cannot return to work for more than three days due to their injury or illness, the employer must then determine if that employee is entitled to wage replacement benefits.
As a sanitation worker, if you are dissatisfied with how your employer is handling your claim, you can take action before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. The Commission will assign an arbitrator to hear your claim and a lengthy appeals process may follow. For many workers this can all seem overwhelming, which is why it is important to work with an attorney who has experience in these matters.
So if you have been injured on the job in the sanitation industry and need legal representation from a knowledgeable Illinois garbage truck driver injury/workers comp lawyer, contact Connolly Injury Law today to schedule a free initial consultation.
