Best Workers' Compensation Lawyers in Rockford, IL

No! An insurance company does not have to offer settlement to any individual who is hurt at work. In fact, 97% of the cases that are settled involve attorneys for the injured employee. The 3% who receive offers from insurance companies usually do not receive a full and fair value for their claim. This is because under IL law, the insurance company is not obligated to make an offer. The insurance company may make an offer to keep someone from going to an attorney to get full value.

Unlike television, the judge does not make the decision at the end of the trial. The judge has 45 days within which to issue his decision. His decision is then sent to both attorneys who have 30 days within which to file an appeal. A little over half of the cases that go to trial are appealed. If appealed, it generally takes one to one and a half years more to resolve the claim. For this reason it is best to use the threat of trial rather than an actual trial to resolve the case.

Insured status is based upon payroll deductions, FICA. A person may be insured for years into the future. If a person can show that they are disabled on, or before the date last insured, the person would be eligible for SSDI.

An attorney can counsel an applicant for social security disability about the law and the process, gather the necessary evidence and present the evidence before the Administrative Law Judge.

An SSDI applicant may be entitled to back benefits up to one year prior to the date of the initial application. SSI applicants maybe entitled to back benefits to the date of the initial application.