During the recent holiday season, it was common for people in Illinois to see delivery drivers making their rounds with gifts and packages. The trucks of companies like FedEx dot the roadway of our state. Now, one employee of the delivery giant is working to recover after an unfortunate work-related injury suffered in a car accident.
The man at the center of this workplace injury case had been a driver for FedEx for more than 14 years at the time of the incident that changed his life. He was traveling the roads of his home state in mid-December when his truck was struck by a vehicle that had failed to stop at a red light. The crash caused the delivery driver to be thrown from his vehicle.
The accident also caused him not only minor lacerations, but also significant brain injury. He has spent the past month in hospitals and rehab clinics recovering. It may be more than a year before he is able to return to what will be his “new normal,” an article regarding this on-the-job injury states.
Like people in Illinois who have suffered a work-related injury, the man in this case has sought to make a claim against his state’s workers’ compensation program. Such claims can include payments for medical care and necessary equipment such as wheelchairs or workers for those who need it. In addition, if employees are unable to return to work, they may find that they can qualify for permanent benefits. If a person in Illinois finds themselves in such a situation, it can do well for them to consider learning about the workers’ compensation program to ensure that they are able to receive the best benefits possible.
Source: jdnews.com, Rehabilitation begins for FedEx driver injured in wreck, Amanda Hickey, Jan. 19, 2014