[The following is a paid advertisement.]

My name is Keven Owens. I am a former Marine who never even had a splinter while serving our country. I worked for a central Illinois- based moving company for over 3 years before I was injured on the job.

I was moving a full sized refrigerator out of a house when the front wheels rolled off the front porch. I ran around to stop the refrigerator from falling, but I could not stop it. The refrigerator fell on my head then landed on top of me.

Afterwards, I had a splitting headache and my neck was throbbing too. The company sent me to their doctor who diagnosed me with a sprained neck and told me to take it easy for awhile.

After about 4 months with no relief from my pain, I decided to get a second opinion. The second doctor ordered an MRI of my neck and it revealed that I had fractured my neck. I had surgery to put 2 titanium plates in my neck. Today, I still suffer from neck pain.

Unfortunately, the company fought my workers’ compensation claim. It took 6 long years for my case to be resolved. While this dragged out, I had bills to pay and two children to support. Financially, it was a very difficult time.

I played by the rules, served my country and worked hard every day. It wasn’t until I was injured on the job that I discovered that the deck was stacked against me. A fair workers’ compensation system is necessary in Illinois to help those hurt on the job, like myself.
For more about Keven, click here.