Chicago Vocational Rehabilitation Attorneys
If your work injury has left you disabled, and you cannot return to your former job, the Workers’ Compensation Act requires that your employer pay for vocational rehabilitation. This means that your employer must not only pay for your medical care but also must provide monetary benefits to help with various costs associated with job retraining, continued education, and reentry into the workforce.
At Anesi Ozmon, LTD, our Chicago vocational rehabilitation attorneys assist individuals who have suffered severe work-related injuries and illnesses in seeking the maximum owed workers’ compensation benefits. Since 1955, we have served clients throughout Illinois, offering highly personalized and attentive legal services.
FREE CONSULTATION:
Learn how our team can help you with your workers’ compensation claim; call 312-997-5784 or contact us online for a free consultation.
What Is Vocational Rehabilitation?
Vocational rehabilitation is a service for individuals who have suffered serious or even career-ending injuries, that resulted in disabilities preventing them from returning to their previous employment. The purpose of vocational rehabilitation is to help these individuals obtain the necessary skills to reenter the workforce, whether in a modified capacity or in a new occupation.
Vocational rehabilitation services include but are not limited to:
- Continued education
- Counseling
- Employment exploration or modification
- Job placement
- Retraining
Essentially, any services necessary to prepare a disabled worker to reenter the workforce may fall under vocational rehabilitation.
Who Qualifies For Vocational Rehabilitation?
There is no specific standard that outlines who qualifies for vocational rehabilitation in Illinois. However, injured workers must typically make a “reasonable effort” to seek/obtain employment following a work-related injury or illness. They must also prove that they are unable to find employment that provides the necessary accommodations for their disability or impairment.
Once an individual proves that he or she cannot obtain employment due to a disability or impairment stemming from a work injury, he or she will need to undergo an assessment prior to receiving vocational rehabilitation benefits. The purpose of this assessment is to determine the individual’s vocational needs, as well as his or her level of medical care, impairment, and disability. Workers may request specific job training or education in some circumstances, but in any case, an individual vocational rehabilitation plan will be designed based on the assessment of the worker’s needs.
Injured employees who receive vocational rehabilitation benefits must follow the program and make reasonable efforts to return to work. Those who fail to comply with program requirements or fail to seek employment will have their benefits terminated.
Dedicated To Your Complete Financial Recovery
At the law offices of Anesi Ozmon, LTD, our workers’ compensation lawyers are dedicated to protecting the rights of people who suffer injuries on the job. We work to ensure that our clients who have been injured in the workplace receive optimal compensation to allow them to adapt to a new set of life circumstances. We educate both victims and their employers about the provisions of the Workers’ Compensation Act, including injured workers’ rights to vocational rehabilitation.
Contact our Illinois workers’ compensation law firm to schedule a free initial consultation regarding vocational rehabilitation after your serious knee injury, back injury, or another disabling injury that has left you unable to continue in your previous line of work. We return all calls within 24 hours and do not collect any legal fees unless we recover compensation for you.
FREE CONSULTATION:
Call us at 312-997-5784 or contact us online to schedule an appointment for a free consultation.