Crush injuries do not just happen on high-rise construction sites. They can occur in parking lots, warehouses, delivery docks, and even public sidewalks. The common factor for these locations include heavy machinery, moving vehicles, or collapsing structures.
After suffering from one of these devastating injuries, it is well worth your time to reach out to a Chicago crush injury lawyer and learn your rights and legal options. If the insurance company is stalling, our workers’ compensation attorney could help speed things up for your case.
In workplaces, especially in industries, such as manufacturing, transportation, and construction, crush injuries often happen due to ignored safety protocols or poorly maintained equipment. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, about 75% of all struck-by fatalities involve heavy equipment. These machines can pin or trap people between moving parts, walls, or stacked materials, and even a moment of inattention or miscommunication between workers can result in someone getting crushed.
Public areas are just as risky in certain conditions. A delivery truck backing into an alley, a falling gate at a parking garage, or a collapsing scaffold near a construction site can all cause severe crush injuries. If someone has suffered a crush injury in a public place in Chicago, an attorney could help review their case while they focus on healing.
Crush injuries typically involve broken bones, nerve damage, or internal trauma that require immediate treatment and even long-term rehabilitation. While that is happening, the legal process for the crush injury begins with filing an insurance claim against the at-fault party, whether it is a driver, construction company, or property owner in Chicago.
Once an individual or an attorney files the insurance claim, the insurance company may begin its investigation. That usually includes reviewing accident reports, medical records, and requesting a recorded statement from the victim. Saying the wrong thing or giving incomplete information could seriously hurt a claim. An experienced lawyer could provide valuable assistance with this, as insurance adjusters are trained to find ways to limit what they pay.
Unfortunately, in many serious crush injury cases, the insurance claim does not fully cover the costs of medical care, lost income, and future treatment needs. This is when filing a personal injury lawsuit becomes necessary. A lawsuit allows access to broader compensation and gives legal tools to demand records, interview witnesses, and apply pressure.
Sadly, crush injuries often come with massive medical bills, often before an insurance claim or lawsuit pays out. So, how do people cover those costs in the meantime? McCready Law often sees the crush injury victim in Chicago using their personal health insurance. Even if someone else caused the injury, the victim’s own insurance may cover hospital stays, surgeries, and therapy upfront.
Some people also use medical payment coverage from their personal auto insurance if a vehicle was involved. Another option is a medical lien. This is an agreement between the injured person’s doctors and lawyer that allows them to get treatment now, with payment coming later from their settlement or verdict. Not all providers accept liens, so working with one who does is important, and an injury lawyer could help a client with this.
For instance, Northwestern Medicine offers a financial assistance program. UChicago Medicine provides income-based financial assistance. Cook County Health (Stroger Hospital) offers extensive charity care and sliding-scale payment options for those with pending legal or insurance claims. If an individual documents everything and chooses the right payment method early on, they could pay their bills while still pursuing full compensation from the party who caused their injury.
At McCready Law, we have seen crush injury cases that started as everyday tasks, such as loading a truck or walking into a building. Our Chicago crush injury lawyers investigate every detail, ranging from surveillance footage to maintenance logs, to uncover what really happened and who is financially responsible.
Contact us now to set up a free case review.
