I don't handle workers' compensation cases in my office. What I do is listen to what happened, ask the questions that matter, and connect you with one of the best work-comp attorneys in central or southern Illinois — someone I'd send a member of my own family to. There is no charge for that conversation, and there is no charge added to your case for the referral.
The call with me is free.
The lawyer I refer you to works on the standard Illinois workers' comp contingency — fees are set by statute and approved by the Commission. Nothing comes out of pocket, and your fee is not larger because I made the introduction.
The Illinois Workers' Compensation Act has its own statute, its own commission, its own arbitrators, its own settlement contracts, and its own fee structure. The lawyers who do it well do it almost exclusively — because the difference between a good outcome and a mediocre one usually comes down to volume of experience in front of those specific arbitrators with those specific carriers.
My practice is built around family law, probate, commercial litigation, and business disputes. I could take a workers' comp case. Plenty of general-practice lawyers do. But I don't think it would be doing right by you. A better answer is to put you in front of someone whose entire career is built on cases like yours.
So that's what I do. You call, we talk, and if you have a claim worth pursuing, I'll get you to the lawyer in my network who fits your situation best — by injury type, by industry, by county, by who is going to actually return your calls.
— Tom DeVore
No forms to fill out, no retainer, no obligation. Just a straightforward conversation and an introduction to the right attorney for your situation.
A short conversation — usually 15 to 20 minutes, on the phone or in person at the Litchfield or Greenville office. How you were hurt, when you reported it, what the carrier has and hasn't done, whether you're back to work, what your doctor is saying.
Whether your 45-day notice is documented. Whether there's a possible third-party angle (a defective machine, a negligent driver, a subcontractor). Whether your wage and TTD numbers look right. Whether the carrier is steering you toward an IME or a quick settlement you shouldn't take.
I pick the attorney from my network whose practice fits your case — by injury type, industry, and county. I make the introduction personally and pass along what I already know about your situation, so you're not starting from scratch.
The conversation with me is free. The attorney I refer you to handles workers' comp cases on the standard Illinois contingency: no fee unless they recover for you, with the fee capped by statute and approved by the Commission. The fact that I made the introduction does not add to your fee or come out of your recovery.
I do this because over fifteen years of practicing law in this part of Illinois, I've built relationships with people I trust — and the right thing to do, when someone calls who needs help I can't best provide, is to point them to someone who can.
Illinois law generally requires you to give your employer notice of the work injury within 45 days. Verbal notice can be enough, but written notice is far safer — an email or text to your supervisor is fine.
If you haven't given notice yet, do it today. If you already gave verbal notice, follow up in writing so there's a record. Then call us.
An Application for Adjustment of Claim must generally be filed with the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission within three years of the injury, or within two years of the last payment of compensation — whichever is later.
That sounds like a long time, but evidence gets harder to find as it slips by, and the carrier's defense gets stronger. The earlier a lawyer is involved, the better the outcome tends to be.
Yes. The conversation with me is free, no strings. You can hang up at the end and decide to do nothing, hire someone else, or have me make the introduction. There's no obligation either way.
You don't pay me out of pocket, and you don't pay a separate fee on top of your case. The referring attorney and the handling attorney may share the statutory fee under the Illinois Rules of Professional Conduct — but the total fee on your case is the same statutory fee it would be if you'd walked into the work-comp lawyer's office on your own. The referral does not make your case more expensive.
Because workers' comp is a specialty, and the lawyers I refer to do it day in and day out. They know the arbitrators, they know the carriers' defense lawyers, they know which IME doctors say what. That's worth more to you than the convenience of one-stop shopping with me.
Attorneys I've come to know personally over more than fifteen years of practice in central and southern Illinois — lawyers whose work I've seen, whose results I trust, and who I'd hire if I were the one who got hurt. I match the referral to the case: injury type, industry, county, and who's the best fit for the person calling.
Probably not. A denial is the carrier's position, not a final answer. A workers' comp attorney can file an Application with the Commission, fight the denial in front of an arbitrator, and — in many cases — get benefits reinstated. The sooner that process starts, the better. Call.
Then there may be two cases: the workers' comp claim against your employer's carrier, and a separate civil claim against whoever caused the accident. Those need to be handled together because of how the comp lien works. That's exactly the kind of situation where I want you with a lawyer who has experience coordinating both.
Yes. That's what the conversation is for — to figure out whether you have a claim worth pursuing. If you don't, I'll tell you. If you do, I'll get you in front of someone who can do something about it.
Fill out a few details and I'll call you back — usually the same day. The conversation is free and confidential, and there is no obligation. If you have a claim worth pursuing, I'll connect you with the right work-comp attorney in my network. If you don't, I'll tell you that too.
If your injury is recent or your benefits have been cut off, please call directly — time matters.
Tom DeVore has represented injured Illinois workers through the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission process from claim through hearing. He answers the phone, returns calls, and explains the process in plain English. No fee unless the firm recovers for you. If a complex case needs a specialist, he'll tell you that too — and refer you to one.
More about how Tom works →You don't need to figure out workers' comp on your own, and you don't need to pick a name out of a Google ad. Tell me what happened and I'll get you in front of someone I'd trust with my own family's case.