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Battle of the Surgeons: Mitchell Kline Wins Workers’ Compensation Trial

Battle of the Surgeons: Mitchell Kline Wins Workers’ Compensation Trial

When a worker is injured on the job, the worker is generally eligible for workers’ compensation benefits under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act.  Workers’ compensation benefits are meant to cover medical expenses, treatment, and to provide a portion of the injured worker’s lost wages during the period of recovery. The purpose of workers’ compensation is to financially help injured workers make their way through recovery so that they can return to work sooner rather than later.

Workers’ compensation is a form of insurance that most Illinois employers are required to get for their employees. But since these benefits are a payout on a workers’ compensation insurance policy, insurance providers, and sometimes even employers themselves, are reluctant to approve an injured worker’s claim. Many injured workers who seek workers’ compensation benefits after suffering a workplace accident or injury find themselves challenged by denials of their claim.

When a workers’ compensation claim is denied, the injured worker has a right to dispute the denial. This is done by filing the disputed claim with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. An arbitrator is assigned to the case, and a trial is conducted, complete with witnesses, evidence, and testimony. The injured worker’s case will be presented to the arbitrator, and if the injured worker’s claim is successful, the injured worker will be awarded workers’ compensation benefits.

Mitchell Kline’s Successful Trial For Injured Bakery Worker

During these workers’ compensation trials before the Commission, it is typical for the injured worker to have a doctor testify on their behalf, and the employer or insurance company typically has its own doctor who will testify on the employer or insurance company’s behalf. This is the exact scenario that played out for Illinois workers’ compensation attorney Mitchell Kline in a recent case involving injuries suffered by a bakery worker while on the job.

Attorney Kline’s client, the injured worker, was repeatedly required to submerge her hands into icy frozen fruit buckets as part of her work duties at the bakery where she was employed. At the client’s Workers’ Compensation Commission trial, the injured worker, through the help of a Spanish interpreter, testified, as did management employees, and the injured worker’s surgeon. Her surgeon testified that her carpal tunnel condition was the result of her work environment.

While the surgeon hired by the bakery employer’s insurance company testified that the injured worker’s condition was not a result of the bakery work environment, the Commission was persuaded otherwise, and decided that the injured worker’s work environment was the cause of her carpal tunnel injuries. In light of the favorable ruling from the Commission, the injured worker is able to schedule the surgery that she needs for her injuries.

Call Now For A Free Initial Consultation

The Law Office of Mitchell A. Kline has an established track record for helping injured workers with workers’ compensation claim disputes, and we can help you too if you have been injured on the job. Contact our Chicago, Illinois workers’ compensation lawyers today for a free consultation.

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