Disc Bulge vs. Herniated Disc at L4-L5 and L5-S1: Illinois Workers’ Compensation Guide for Sciatica, Injections, and Back Surgery

A disc bulge or herniated disc at L4-L5 or L5-S1 is one of the most common and most heavily disputed injuries in Illinois workers’ compensation cases. These lumbar spine injuries often cause sciatica, nerve compression, radiculopathy, numbness, weakness, and lifting restrictions that prevent injured workers from returning to physically demanding jobs like construction, nursing, warehouse…

Trial Win: Joliet IWCC Orders Hip Replacement Surgery After Workers’ Comp Denial (Section 19(b) Emergency Hearing)

Workers’ compensation insurance companies in Chicago and across Illinois often deny legitimate claims by blaming injuries on “pre-existing conditions,” refusing to approve surgery, or cutting off wage-loss benefits like TTD. When that happens, injured workers are forced into a fight—not just for money, but for medical treatment they urgently need. At McHargue & Jones, LLC,…

What to Do After a Work Accident in Illinois (Step-by-Step Guide)

If you were injured at work in Chicago or anywhere in Illinois, what you do next can directly impact your right to workers’ compensation benefits. Whether your injury happened suddenly—such as a slip and fall, lifting accident, or machinery incident—or developed over time as a repetitive trauma injury (like carpal tunnel, shoulder damage, or chronic…

Does Surgery Increase the Value of My Workers’ Comp Case in Illinois?

Short answer: sometimes — but surgery alone does not determine the value of a workers’ compensation case in Illinois. In Illinois, cases involving surgery often have a higher value than non-surgical cases, but surgery is only one of many factors. Permanent restrictions, disability, and whether an injured worker can return to their former job or…

Target Workers’ Compensation Claims in Illinois: What Injured Target Employees Need to Know About Sedgwick, Light Duty, and Disputed Claims

Target employees in Illinois are injured every day in retail stores, stockrooms, backrooms, and distribution centers. Cashiers, stockers, fulfillment workers, and warehouse employees face repetitive lifting, fast-paced work, falling merchandise, and slip-and-fall hazards. While workers’ compensation benefits should cover medical care and lost wages, Target workers’ comp claims often become disputed once Sedgwick is involved,…

Retail Workers & Cashiers: Workers’ Compensation Claims in Chicago

Retail workers and cashiers in Chicago and Cook County experience some of the most common — and most frequently denied — workplace injuries in Illinois. Employees at large retailers such as Target, Walmart, Jewel-Osco, Walgreens, grocery stores, pharmacies, and big-box chains perform physically demanding tasks every shift, including repetitive scanning, stocking shelves, lifting heavy merchandise,…

What to Do After a Workplace Injury at Amazon in Illinois: Critical Steps for Injured Amazon Warehouse and Delivery Workers

If you are injured while working at Amazon in Illinois, the steps you take immediately after the injury can make or break your workers’ compensation claim. Amazon warehouse and delivery jobs are fast-paced, physically demanding, and closely monitored, and in our experience handling Amazon workers’ compensation cases, claims are often scrutinized early and aggressively by…

What to Do After a Workplace Injury at Walmart in Illinois: Critical Steps to Protect Your Workers’ Compensation Claim

If you are injured while working at Walmart in Illinois, what you do immediately after the injury can have a major impact on your workers’ compensation benefits. Walmart is one of the largest employers in the state, and in our experience handling Walmart workers’ compensation cases over many years, these claims are often managed aggressively…

Walmart Workers’ Compensation Claims in Illinois: What Injured Walmart Workers Need to Know About Sedgwick, Light Duty, IMEs, and Permanent Restrictions

Walmart is one of the largest employers in Illinois, operating hundreds of retail locations and a growing network of high-tech distribution, fulfillment, and consolidation centers across Chicago, the surrounding suburbs, and downstate Illinois. When Walmart employees are injured on the job, their workers’ compensation claims are commonly administered by Sedgwick, a national third-party administrator that…

PTSD and Illinois Workers’ Compensation

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a serious psychological injury that can develop after a traumatic workplace event. Illinois workers may experience PTSD following assaults, workplace violence, serious accidents, near-death incidents, or witnessing catastrophic injuries or fatalities on the job. In certain situations, PTSD is covered under Illinois workers’ compensation law, allowing injured employees to receive…

PTSD After a Head Injury at Work in Illinois

A concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) at work can cause more than physical symptoms—it can also lead to post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many Illinois workers develop PTSD after head injuries that occur during violent, frightening, or life-threatening workplace incidents, including falls, vehicle crashes, or assaults. When PTSD is causally connected to a physical injury…

Attacks at Work Causing PTSD in Illinois Workers’ Compensation

Workplace attacks are one of the most common causes of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) among Illinois workers. Employees who are assaulted, threatened, or violently confronted at work may develop PTSD even if their physical injuries heal—or even if no physical injury occurred at all. In certain situations, PTSD caused by a workplace attack may be…

Attacks at Work Causing Concussions and Brain Injuries in Illinois

Workplace attacks are a common and often overlooked cause of concussions and traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) in Illinois. Being punched, kicked, thrown to the ground, or struck during an assault—whether by a patient, customer, inmate, or coworker—can cause serious head trauma even when there is no visible injury. Workers who suffer concussions or brain injuries…

How Much Is a Concussion or TBI Worth in Illinois Workers’ Compensation?

After a work-related head injury, many employees ask the same question: how much is a concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) worth in Illinois workers’ compensation? The answer depends on where the injury falls on a wide spectrum—from concussions that resolve with little lasting impact, to brain injuries that permanently change a career, to severe…