Home » Archives for June 2016

Separate Suburban Chicago Workplace Accidents Lead to Two Deaths

In the past week, two separate workplace accidents in Chicago suburbs have led to the deaths of two people. On June 20, a 43-year-old Ohio man was working at a Willow Springs jobsite when he fell from a 48-foot by 140-foot asphalt tank under construction. The victim was working for International Tank Service, a company>> Read More

Lou Cairo Featured On “Case or No Case” – June 2016

In the June 2016 installment of WCIU’s popular “Case or No Case” segment, GWC’s Lou Cairo discusses a range of common situations that may require the assistance of a legal professional – including accidents involving cyclists, stray dogs running in the park and an incident involving flying debris from a garbage truck. Click on the>> Read More

Employees Think Employers Care More About Productivity Than Safety

The National Safety Council (“NSC”) conducted a survey of 2,000 employees across the United States regarding safety in the workplace. It found that one-third of those surveyed thought that their employer was more concerned about productivity than safety. For high-risk jobs like construction, agriculture or forestry, those numbers were even higher. Sixty percent of those>> Read More

Chemical Spill at Willy Wonka Factory Sends Workers to Hospital

Nestle’s Willy Wonka candy factory in Itasca was evacuated Friday, June 17, following a chemical spill that sent 11 people to the hospital. At approximately 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, a ventilation pipe that contained a chemical solution used to keep the plant’s humidity levels balanced burst. About five gallons of a solution mainly composed of>> Read More

New OSHA Rule Reduces Exposure Levels for Silica Dust

Approximately 2.3 million U.S. workers are exposed to dangerous silica dust on the job. Breathing in these particles may cause kidney disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), lung cancer or silicosis, claiming more than 600 lives every year. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has announced its final ruling on a revision of the>> Read More

Hospital Mistakes Are Much Deadlier Than Ebola

In the midst of the internationally known Ebola scare, a Texas hospital sent a Liberian patient home with infection like symptoms, with no testing, after learning he had just come from disease ravaged West Africa.  In doing so, the hospital needlessly endangered the lives of at least 46 people living in the Dallas community. Had>> Read More

Speed Limit Increases Lead to More Fatal Accidents

In the 20-year period from 1993 to 2013, increases to maximum speed limits in states across the U.S. have caused approximately 33,000 accident fatalities. Maximum speed limits are set by the states and have been rising since 1995 when Congress officially repealed a regulation known as the National Maximum Speed Limit, which required states adopt>> Read More

Four-Car Avondale Crash Kills Woman

A four-car hit-and-run accident in the Avondale neighborhood left one woman dead and her husband with serious injuries. A 33-year-old man has been charged in the accident. The accident occurred early last Sunday morning as the couple was driving to church in their black Chevrolet Cobalt, traveling northbound on North Kedzie Avenue. A man driving>> Read More

Chicago Teachers Union: Lack of Leadership Caused Contract Gridlock

After nearly a year of negotiations, the Chicago Teachers Union (CTU) has yet to reach a contract agreement with the city. Last week, the organization cited the governor, mayor and Chicago Public Schools as the cause of the gridlock concerning state education funding. In May, the mayor refused city tax increases, which were suggested by>> Read More

Englewood pedestrian accident

Pedestrian Fatalities Rise, IDOT Warns Drivers to Pay Attention

In 2015, 150 pedestrians were killed in accidents across Illinois, bringing the total to 18 percent more than 2014. Almost one third of these deaths occurred in Chicago, where the city’s pedestrian fatality rate increased 31 percent versus the previous year. Across the country, there were 2,368 pedestrian fatalities in the first six-month period of>> Read More

GAO Report Reveals Dangers Faced by Meatpacking Industry Workers

According to a new report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), meat and poultry plant workers face severe hazards on the job; many work injuries are thought to go unreported. Following a request from congressional Democrats, the GAO performed a study of hazards in slaughterhouses and processing facilities across the U.S. to assist the Occupational>> Read More

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