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Injured FedEx Drivers

Workers’ Compensation Lawyers for Employees in Chicago

FedEx drivers face the possibility of suffering serious injury or even death on the job. In addition to the risk of acute injury in a collision or crash, FedEx drivers are prone to repetitive injuries on the job. As a driver, you may suffer back injuries while working. If you’re an injured FedEx driver who was hurt on the job, our Chicago workers’ compensation attorneys may be able to represent you in making a claim. We are also experienced personal injury attorneys who can help you bring a third-party lawsuit for damages if your harm was the result of an accident caused by someone else.

Injured FedEx Drivers with Workers’ Compensation Claims

In Illinois, employers need to buy workers’ compensation insurance coverage for their employees in case of workplace injuries. The insurers fund payment of benefits for employees’ claims. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission enforces workers’ compensation laws and protects your rights as an employee. If you were injured on the job and are classified as an employee, you can obtain benefits such as the reasonable medical care needed to treat or relieve the injury, temporary disability benefits, permanent disability benefits, vocational rehabilitation, and death benefits. These benefits can’t be taxed.

Benefits

If you’re in a work accident in which you suffer a herniated or ruptured spinal disc, you may be temporarily disabled. If you are an employee, you can seek workers’ compensation benefits. Temporary disability benefits are paid at a rate of 66 2/3% of the average weekly wage up to a maximum benefit per week. The cap for the maximum benefit updates every six months. You can only get temporary disability benefits after you’ve missed at least three days of work. If you miss more than 14 days, however, you can retroactively get the first three days of lost wages.

On the other hand, if you are paralyzed from an accident while driving a truck, you may be permanently disabled. This benefit is paid at 66 2/3% of the difference in your wages before and after the accident. If you’re disfigured, you can get a maximum of 162 weeks of benefits paid at a rate of 60% of your average weekly wage.

Notification

If you’re hurt in a job where you are classified as an employee and want to seek workers’ compensation benefits, you should let your employer know in writing. Your notice should provide the place and date on which you were injured. The notification should be provided within 45 days of the accident. If you suffer a repetitive stress injury, you need to let your employer know as soon as you become aware of the condition. Your benefits may be delayed if you wait to let your employer know you were injured on the job, and if you delay beyond 45 days you might lose your right to benefits altogether. Delays also give the workers’ compensation insurance company cause to doubt your claims. An insurer that suspects workers’ compensation fraud due to a delay in reporting may conduct surveillance to try to figure out whether you were injured at home or while performing a recreational activity, rather than on the job.

Third Party Claims for Vehicle Accidents

If you are injured in a vehicle accident as a FedEx driver, you may have able to bring a third-party claim for damages. In most cases, you’ll need to establish the other driver or drivers’ negligence. You’ll need to prove the other driver owed you a duty of care, the other driver breached the duty of care, and that the breach caused your injuries. Illinois follows a modified rule of comparative negligence. That means your damages will be reduced by an amount equal to your percentage of fault. However, if you are 50% or more at fault, you will be barred from recovering damages.

Usually damages are compensatory, meaning they are intended to put you back in the position you would have been in had there been no accident. They may include amounts for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and lost enjoyment of life.

Chicago Attorneys for Work Injury Claims

FedEx drivers can be injured in many different ways on the job. If you are an injured FedEx driver who is hurt in a job-related accident in Chicago, you may be able to obtain workers’ compensation benefits or damages in a third-party lawsuit. At Katz, Friedman, Eisenstein, Johnson, Bareck & Bertuca, our seasoned workers’ compensation lawyers represent injured truck drivers in Champaign, Quincy, Aurora, and Rockford, along with Sangamon, Kane, Cook, Winnebago, and Adams Counties. Contact us at 312-724-5846 or via our online form.

Injured FedEx Drivers

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