Workers’ Compensation exists to help provide coverage for workers who have suffered an injury while at work. Most people generally associate these injuries to be major in order to receive benefits in O’Fallon, IL. What many people may not know is in the state of Illinois, you could have an “everyday injury” covered by workers’ compensation if it happened at work. By everyday injury, we mean an injury from a pop when kneeling or having a muscle strain. The state of Illinois has upheld this. Here we want to go more into detail about these kinds of injuries being covered by workers’ compensation.
What Was the Cause
The reason that everyday injuries are covered by workers’ compensation in O’Fallon, IL, and the rest of the state has an interesting history. A sous chef in Illinois had hurt his knee while he was standing up after kneeling. He was trying to find food inside the walk-in cooler. His knee popped and locked, and he had no way of healing it on his own. He was sent to urgent care, where he had received medical bills for his treatment. His injury was not covered by workers’ compensation, and he would be unable to work for an entire month. When he tried to get workers’ compensation for his injury, the insurance company declined as they believed the “everyday injury” that he had received could have happened anytime he knelt and had nothing to do with his work. A higher circuit had felt the same way.
Illinois Supreme Court’s Decision
The Illinois Supreme Court, in review of the sous chefs’ knee injury claim, questioned if the lower court’s decision that kneeling had nothing to do with his job. He did have to kneel to find food from the walk-in freezer and was not just kneeling for no reason on the job. The Illinois Supreme Court would overturn the decision of the lower court in favor of the claimant. This case has gone on to help protect other workers who have suffered “everyday injuries” at work.
If you have any more questions about workers’ compensation in O’Fallon, IL, give our team of professional lawyers over at Brunton Law Office a call today!
