Suffering any type of blow to the head can create ongoing health complications, emotional trauma, and may lead to behavioral challenges over time. When you have substantial injuries and losses, a head injury workers’ comp lawyer in Chicago is one of the best assets available to you.
At Therman Law, we provide our workers’ compensation clients with confidence and support when they need it the most. Start with a free consultation to learn how we can help you.
Our Chicago workers’ compensation lawyer has more than 75 years of combined experience.
Types of Head Injuries in Workers’ Compensation Claims
A variety of work-related tasks could contribute to serious injuries, including to your head, neck, and shoulder muscles, and your brain.
If you are hurt at work, you have the right to hold your employer accountable for your medical costs and, in some cases, the lost wages you have.
Some of the most common types of head injuries that could become serious workers’ compensation claims include:
- Concussions: A concussion occurs when a person is struck in the head or a significant jolt to the head jars the brain. This can lead to memory issues, pain, confusion, and brain damage in serious cases.
- Contusions: A contusion is a type of bruise to the brain tissue, often from direct impact, such as being struck by something hard. Contusions range in severity and may include loss of memory and speech, reasoning changes, and, in some situations, significant damage to cognitive function.
- Diffuse axonal injury: Often called DAI, this injury occurs when there is widespread damage to the nerve fibers in the brain. This often occurs when there is rapid acceleration and deceleration, as well as rotational forces on the brain, causing damage to blood vessels.
- Whiplash: Though whiplash is an injury to the muscles in the neck, it can occur alongside brain injuries and often results in headaches and dizziness.
- Skull fractures: In those who have a skull fracture, the risk of damage to brain tissue is high.
Many of these injuries can cause a serious impact on brain health and function. Depending on the seriousness of the blow, you may face temporary or permanent damage to cognitive function.
When this happens at work, seek the guidance of a Chicago head injury workers’ comp lawyer for immediate guidance.
What Makes Head Injury Work Accidents Challenging
Victims suffering brain injuries at work have a much more challenging time proving their losses and receiving fair compensation. The key to remember is that the brain takes time to heal, and the level of healing will differ for each person. What makes these cases challenging includes:
- Severity of your injury: Determining the severity of your injury can be complex. Workers’ compensation wants you to heal and get back to work. However, these wounds are internal and hard to monitor, especially when they impact cognitive thinking and behavior.
- Permanency of your injuries: If your head injury leads to permanent impairment, you have the right to seek disability. This is not just legally challenging, but can be critical to get right. These funds must be able to meet your needs on an ongoing basis.
- Catastrophic injuries: Many families face incredible challenges seeking fair compensation when their loved one suffers catastrophic injuries such as loss of speech, vision, hearing, or mobility. All of this can happen in some of the worst cases.
These challenges are exactly why you need a Chicago head injury workers’ comp attorney to help you navigate your case and the claims process.
Our team will pursue full and fair compensation for you to the fullest extent allowed under the law. From there, the Chicago personal injury lawyer from Therman Law will hold employers responsible for the impact this had on your health and life.
How to Settle Your Workers’ Comp Case for Head Injuries
In many cases, a head injury will heal and improve within weeks or months, allowing you to take time off before heading back to work. For those with more significant injuries and the potential of permanent loss, it may be best to seek a claim against the employer and workers’ compensation. A settlement can be challenging.
Settlements are only available when the insurance company believes that your injuries are serious and that your evidence is clear that you cannot go back to work.
In these situations, you may need to go through arbitration to find a level of compensation that is considered fair. With an attorney by your side, that may be easier to do with more confidence because we have the resources to help you demonstrate proof of your losses.
There are times when you may need to seek legal action in a court of law. Going to court is more challenging, but it also opens the door for more potential compensation to help you continue to live your life as you desire, if you win your case.
Our legal team is ready to help you build a lawsuit that holds those who allowed this to happen accountable. Review our FAQs to learn more.
Workers’ Compensation Is Meant to Protect You, to a Degree
Illinois workers’ compensation is meant to provide workers with financial protection if they are hurt on the job, such as paying for medical bills and lost wages.
Yet, workers’ compensation is not going to treat you fairly if you cannot go back to work or have long-term injuries, unless you prove what those losses are worth.
Because proof of such losses can be complex, and demonstrating those losses could mean spending a significant amount of money on experts, it is often beneficial to work with a lawyer.
Schedule a Free Consultation with Our Head Injury Workers’ Comp Attorney in Chicago
At Therman Law, we hold those who hurt you accountable and protect your rights to full and fair compensation for any losses you have.
Schedule a free consultation with our head injury workers’ comp lawyer in Chicago to discuss your case and determine what it may be worth. We do not charge you anything up front and only get paid if you win your case.