Workers Comp Lawyer

Claimant was a meat cutter for a grocery store.  He had performed that job for many years, like his father before him.  The job required him to use both hands and arms to lift and open heavy boxes, pull meat apart to “seam out” or “bone out”.  Everything he ran through the meat saw was done at a fast pace.  He was on his feet all day, standing on hard surfaces.  The work was performed in a cold, refrigerated environment.  After years of repetitive work in these harsh circumstances, claimant’s hands, elbows and shoulders wore out.  He required multiple surgeries to alleviate his pain.

Can repetitive work activities which injure an employee give rise to a workers compensation claim?  “Yes”, says Libertyville attorney Douglas Rallo.  “Medical studies demonstrate a relationship between repetitive or forceful work, or work in cold environments, and on-the-job injury”, said Rallo.

Once it is shown that repetitive work activity caused the injury, workers compensation laws in Illinois allow employees to make a claim for benefits.

However, once an employee has a work related repetitive trauma injury, the employee has to notify the employer of the accident within 45 days thereafter.  Since this date is critically important for giving required legal notices and for filing a claim within the statute of limitations, legal representation should be obtained as early as possible.

“Because of the law allowing compensation for repetitive activity injury, we were able to obtain a $226,000 settlement, plus payment of TTD and all medical expenses for treatment of his injuries.”