Matthew B. Walker, Partner, Chicago Illinois
Upon completing his term of service with the United States Army's 24th Infantry Division, Matt went on to earn his undergraduate degree from the University of Illinois at Chicago, followed by a law degree from The John Marshall Law School. A partner in the firm's workers' compensation practice, Matt focuses on protecting the rights of injured workers throughout the State of Illinois. He has argued cases before the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission, Circuit Courts and the Illinois Appellate Court. Matt also represents clients before the Social Security Administration's Office of Disability Adjudication and Review. He is certified by the American Association of Disability Evaluating Physicians in the use of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (CEDIR).

Matt has obtained numerous decisions and settlements on behalf of injured workers, including the following:

• $496,000.00 for a union meat cutter who required a joint replacement in his right middle finger, followed by vocational rehabilitation and job placement. In addition to the settlement, Matt's client was also paid $93,000.00 for future medical expenses related to his injury.

• $300,000.00 for a Teamster who injured his back while driving on uneven ground. His injuries required permanent restrictions.

• $300,000.00 for a union laborer who suffered a back injury that required surgical intervention followed by vocational rehabilitation and job placement.

• $300,000.00 for a union electrician who fractured his foot and required permanent restrictions.

• $299,000.00 for a union sheet metal worker who suffered decreased lung capacity resulting from exposure to hazardous materials in the workplace.

• $225,000.00 for a union laborer who sustained a closed head injury requiring permanent restrictions.

• $220,000.00 for a union laborer whose injury kept him from returning to his trade.

• $200,000.00 for an undocumented, immigrant worker who injured his back and was unable to return to the trades..

• $181,595.69 for an undocumented, immigrant worker who suffered a broken leg in a fall while working for a construction company. The Arbitrator's award included $69,500.91 in fees and penalties against the employer for unreasonable and vexatious denial of benefits.

Appellate Court Decisions:
• Caterpillar v. Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission (Richard Petoskey, Appellee), No. 2-10-0756WC (Ill. App. 2d. Jun 22, 2011)

Recent Commission Decisions:
• Wight v. Ecolab, 13 IWCC 0133 (February 19, 2013)
• Chapman v. Wal-Mart, 12 IWCC 1258 (November 16, 2012)
• Gomez v. Mail Terminal Services, 12 IWCC 0618 (June 11, 2012)
• Castaneda v. Graphic Packaging, 11 IWCC 1147 (November 18, 2011)

Bar Admissions:
• State of Illinois
• U.S. District Court Northern District of Illinois

Education:
• John Marshall Law School, Chicago, Illinois J.D.
• University of Illinois, Chicago, IL, USA B.A.

Certifications
• AADEP – CEDIR (Certification in Evaluation of Disability and Impairment Rating)

Professional Associations and Memberships:
• Illinois State Bar Association
• Illinois Workers' Compensation Lawyers Association
• National Association of Medicare Set Aside Professionals

Community Activities:
• Moose International, Yorkville Lodge #2371
• Knights of Columbus Council #2191, Batavia, Illinois

Languages:
• Spanish