Truck drivers are treated like other employees under the Act – if they are injured on the job, they are entitled to workers’ comp. Regardless of whether the accident happened on the road or the injury occurred performing other job duties, such as repairing their truck, trucking company employees are entitled to compensation. An important thing to note, however, is that if you are an owner-operator rather than an employee, the company is not required to file a workers’ compensation payout if injured on the job.

In order to receive workers’ compensation benefits, you must give notice to your employer that an injury happened, then file a workers’ compensation claim. We highly recommend hiring one of our worker’s compensation attorneys to guide, assist, and facilitate your claim. This will ensure that your employers will not throw any unnecessary roadblocks your way, or misclassify your employment status to avoid claim payments. In many cases, employers will incorrectly classify qualified employees as independent contractors to save costs and avoid workers’ compensation payouts. If you are somebody who is under this dilemma, you should seek help from one of our workers’ compensation attorneys immediately.

Regardless of whether you are an employee or an owner-operator, you may also be eligible to receive liability compensation against the driver of the other vehicle and their insurance carrier. If the other driver is found to be at fault for the accident by way of negligence (speeding, tailgating, etc.) you can potentially file a liability claim against their insurance company and receive compensation.

Workers’ compensation claims for truck drivers, traveling employees and work-related injuries that occur at the terminal and away from the terminal can be challenging and complex. At Krol, Bongiorno & Given, we understand that many families depend on the income of an injured worker, and we are proud of our record protecting the injured and disabled. We have handled well over 30,000 claims for injured workers throughout the state of Illinois. For immediate help with a work injury case, call (312) 726-5567 for a free consultation or contact us online.