One of the basic principles of Illinois workers’ compensation law is that your work comp benefits cover the injury and anything that stems from it. So if you hurt your leg and have to use crutches, if that crutch use causes an elbow injury, that is all part of the same case. If you hurt your right arm at work and begin to overuse your left arm, if that arm then gets hurt, it is all part of the same case.
This principle is also shown a lot with workers who get infections on their job.
The biggest thing to know about infections is that they are unpredictable. Sometimes they get better with Neosporin or an antibiotic. Other times they spread and reek havoc on your body.
Infections can happen in a number of ways and of course are not always readily visible. For example, we were recently contacted by a worker who got a bad burn on their leg from hot chemicals on the job. The burn got infected, but they did not realize it because their leg was already red.
In this case, the burn spread down their leg into their ankle where they had previously had surgery with hardware in place. The infection caused problem with the hardware and ultimately it needed to be removed and replaced. If it wasn’t, they risked having their leg amputated.
As a result, this case is not just a leg burn claim. The medical bills for the ankle surgery had to be paid for by workers’ compensation as did the extensive time off due to the surgery. And when the case is ready to settle, they will be compensated for both the leg and ankle problems. A case that might have been worth $10,000 or so is now likely worth more than $100,000 and potentially more than that based on what recovery the worker makes.
These types of problems happen all of the time. You could get MRSA from a surgical procedure. You can get an epidural injection and then have an infection at the injection spot. Sepsis is a risk when you have a surgery too. But it certainly is most common when workers have burns and cuts.
The best advice we can give is to get medical care as soon as you realize there is a problem. Signs of infection can include:
- Fever
- Pain
- Sensitivity to touch
- Redness
- Fatigue
- GI issues like vomiting or diarrhea
Of course you should not be expected to diagnose yourself, so if you have any worries, you should get to a doctor ASAP. The sooner an infection is caught, the more likely that the result will be positive.
There are some injured workers who are more prone to problems from infections than others. That is a huge problem for people with diabetes. A blister on a toe from a work boot could get infected and result in an amputation. A problem that might resolve itself in a week or two for most people could drag on for months.
No matter your pre-existing health issue, if you struggle to recover from an infection or it causes an additional injury, even a severe one, it is part of your work comp case. We have been involved in cases where a small cut got infected so bad that a worker became permanently disabled and their case was worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Illinois work comp insurance companies are notorious for playing games with infection cases, but a good attorney can stop them and protect you. We have a state wide network of top Illinois work comp lawyers and we would love to help you. For a free case review, please contact us at 312-346-5578. We cover all of Illinois.
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