Injuries to Hotel and Restaurant Workers

• Burns from handling hot water, oil, hot stoves, ovens, and other appliances
• Muscle sprains and strains from improper lifting and/or reaching
• Cuts and puncture wounds from using knives or other sharp objects
• Injuries sustained through slip and fall accidents
• Electrocutions from appliances or other machines
• Eye injuries sustained due to grease splashing or chemicals

Obtaining Workers’ Compensation After a Hotel or Restaurant Injury

Employers have an obligation to minimize safety hazards that are associated with working in a hotel or restaurant environment. When hotel and restaurant workers are injured in the course and scope of employment, those workers will be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Workers’ compensation is the work injury insurance program that employers are by Illinois law to have. It is paid for by the employer and is free for the employee.

It is important to note that workers’ compensation is a no-fault system. This means that hotel and restaurant workers are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for injuries sustained on the job regardless of who is at fault for the injury. The injured worker is not suing the employer, but rather is making a claim for benefits.

Types of Damages Available Following Injuries to Hotel and Restaurant Workers

Workers’ compensation benefits that are generally available to injured workers include: all reasonable medical expenses related to the injury including medication, diagnostic tests, treatment, surgery, and even travel costs as well as lost wages in the amount equal to 2/3 of your average weekly wage while you recover. When a worker is killed on the job, his or her surviving family members and other dependents may be eligible for death benefits.

You Can Appeal if Your Workers’ Compensation Claim Gets Denied

Just because your claim for benefits has been denied does not mean you are out of options. A knowledgeable work injury lawyer can often help you continue to assert your rights. Benefits are denied for a number of reasons ranging from a dispute as to the time and place of the injury, to your alleged failure to notify your employer of the accident within the required time frame, to a healthcare provider concluding you are not disabled as a result of the workplace injury. Regardless of why your claim was denied, you can file an appeal with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, the government agency designated to handle workers’ compensation disputes between employers and injured workers. The Commission will hold a hearing before an arbitrator who will make a decision regarding the case.

Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Serving Schaumburg and Wheaton

Accidents happen in every industry, and the hotel and restaurant industry is no exception. If you have been injured in a workplace accident at a hotel or restaurant, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits for your harm. At Therman Law Offices, our workers’ compensation attorneys understand the nuances of this area of law and can apply our knowledge to your case. We proudly take on clients from Schaumburg and Wheaton as well as Addison, Elmhurst, Lemont, Westmont, Oakbrook, West Chicago, Terrace, Downers Grove, Clarendon Hills, and Lisle. For more information, do not hesitate to call 312-588-1900 or contact us online.