Despite an ongoing probe, new Workers’ Compensation cases continue to pile up at Menard Correctional Center. This trend can not be helpful for Illinois workers’.
The number of repetitive injury workers’ compensation claims filed by Menard staffers since January 2008 totaled nearly $10 million dollars. Many claims were for carpal tunnel syndrome suffered while locking and unlocking doors. The condition causes pain and numbness is wrists and hands and is often suffered by office workers due to repetitive motions at the keyboards of computers.
The unprecedented amount of claims stemming from Menard Correctional and the resulting federal probe most certainly is largely responsible for gaining attention from the Illinois Legislature which passed in early June worker’s compensation overhaul legislation limiting compensation for carpal tunnel and requiring all Illinois worker’s to attend doctor’s mandated by their employer for assessment of injuries suffered on the job.
This is not a positive step for any Illinois worker who suffers an injury in the workplace. It is has been the experience of Illinois compensation attorneys that company mandated doctors do not advise diagnosis and treatments most advantageous to Illinois workers and favor the company’s desires to have the worker return to work as soon as possible-often at the expense of a full scope of treatment and recovery to the worker. In addition and very sadly, these doctors are not responsible for their malpractice which only encourages careless treatment leaving the Illinois worker with no avenue for full recovery or compensation.
While it appears that the Illinois Legislature is trying to placate businesses in Illinois by limiting worker’s compensation claims and costs; and potentially eliminating worker’s compensation attorneys in the process, it is now more important than ever that Illinois worker’s obtain the services of a worker’s compensation attorney when they are injured on the job. The Law, and their employers and doctors are operating against them, they need the services of the only advocate left-An Illinois Worker’s Compensation Attorney.
