One Lift, Three Injuries
The client worked in warehouse logistics, placed through a temporary staffing agency, in the Illinois area.
In April 2021, while lifting and moving boxes weighing more than 30 pounds — an activity outside his normal job duties that day — he felt a sharp pain. It hit his abdomen, his lower back, and his right knee at once.
This was no simple strain. Over time, doctors diagnosed an umbilical hernia, a lumbar disc protrusion at L5-S1, and damage in the right knee: an ACL sprain and a tear of the posterior horn of the medial meniscus.
The Fight Over Causation
The central obstacle was causation. The insurer disputed that the injuries came from work, leaning on the fact that the lifting was “outside his normal duties.”
It did not stop there. They denied authorization for treatment. The insurer’s own doctors issued adverse medical opinions minimizing his injuries. Temporary total disability (TTD) benefits — wage replacement while he couldn’t work — went unpaid, and his medical bills mounted.
The client was hurt, without approved treatment, and without income.
Turning Strategy Into Justice
When the client came to our office, our legal team immediately took control of the case.
We filed before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission and brought a 19(b) petition — a request for an immediate hearing so the client would not be left waiting indefinitely. We gathered his complete medical records and challenged the insurer’s adverse opinions point by point, tying each diagnosis back to the workplace lift.
Jack Epstein, with 30 years of experience in the Illinois legal market, oversaw the strategy. We pressed every disputed element: the hernia, the back, the knee, the unpaid disability benefits, and the medical bills. Throughout, the client paid nothing until we won the case.
A Settlement That Covered Every Piece
The client secured a global settlement of $75,000.
The agreement accounted for temporary disability (the days he could not work), permanent disability, and his medical claims — every component the insurer had tried to deny, recovered.
Why This Case Matters
“It wasn’t work-related” is the insurer’s first line of defense against lifting injuries — especially when the task falls outside someone’s usual routine. But a hernia, a herniated disc, and a torn meniscus from lifting on the job are exactly what workers’ compensation exists to cover.
If your lifting injury has been denied or your treatment refused, our Illinois legal team can help you recover what you rightfully deserve.
