There are a limited number of locations in the state of Illinois for disputes involving work injury claims. One of these locations, called a hearing site, is in Wheaton in DuPage County. The address is 421 N. County Farm Road, which is the DuPage County Government Center. Your hearing location is where your case will be heard and where you will go if there are hearings or status conferences for your workers’ compensation claim.
We know all of this can be overwhelming when you’re focused on your injury and trying to get better. When you call our office, we will talk to you about hearing sites, arbitrators and anything else you need to know. If you need a referral to one of the workers’ compensation attorneys we work with, we will gladly recommend the person we believe is best for your particular case. There is no charge for our service.
Work injury claims are handled by arbitrators, who are like judges in that they monitor the progress of cases and make decisions when there are disputes. The other reason hearing sites are important is because we recommend that you hire an Illinois workers’ compensation attorney who is familiar with the specific arbitrator assigned to your claim. If your lawyer has a good reputation and a working relationship with the arbitrator, it can help you out. It doesn’t guarantee a result, but we believe hiring the right attorney puts you on the right path.
All Illinois workers’ compensation claims first get filed with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission in Chicago. From there, claims are assigned to an arbitrator at a specific hearing location. To know for sure whether your claim will be heard in DuPage County, take a look at the list of cities below. Your claim will be assigned to the Wheaton hearing site if:
- You get hurt in one of the cities listed below. Even if your office is in Chicago or another state, if you are hurt in one of these cities you can pursue benefits in Illinois and will have your have your claim heard in DuPage County.
- You were physically hired in one of the cities below, but hurt in another state. For example you could be offered a job while interviewing in Naperville, but then transfer with your company to Milwaukee. If you had a job accident in Milwaukee you could still pursue benefits in Illinois even if you haven’t been here for years.
- If your employment is principally located at one of the cities below, but you get hurt out of state, you can still seek workers’ compensation benefits in Illinois and the hearing site would be Wheaton.
There are three arbitrators who hear disputes at the Wheaton hearing site. These arbitrators are Chicago arbitrators who are assigned to hear cases in Wheaton. The arbitrator you get is randomly selected after you file your Application for Adjustment of Claim, which is an official claim for benefits. It’s helpful to your case if your law firm knows the Arbitrator assigned to your case.
This can be confusing, frustrating and scary. That’s ok, we are here to help. If you have general questions or would like us to refer you to a DuPage County work injury law firm please click the contact us button at the top of the page. All inquiries are free and confidential.