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Steps To Take When Dealing With Insurance Companies

It's a bright sunny Chicago day and you are driving with your friend, enjoying a day on the town. Suddenly, from out of nowhere, another car runs a stop sign and whacks your side door, knocking your car across another lane. You are lucky to not hit any other cars following the car accident. You get out to speak with the other driver and to inspect the damage, which is considerable to both cars. All passengers appear to be okay....

Caterpillar Plant Explosion In Southern Illinois Burns

A workplace explosion in Southern Illinois is under investigation by the State Fire Marshal. One worker was critically injured in the blast, having suffered burn injuries that required his being airlifted to a St. Louis hospital. He was said to be in critical condition as of Feb. 11.The explosion occurred at a Caterpillar manufacturing plant that straddles the county line between Williamson and Saline counties. At the time of the blast, the worker was in a paint booth. According to...

Workers Compensation For Heart Attack Victims?

Those of us in Chicago, who have an adult work history, have probably worked at one time or another in a toxic environment. Perhaps there is the constant fear of a layoff. Maybe your managers never communicate except to scold or blame. It is possible that office politics lead to promotions rather than skill and experience. It is enough to make a person sick -- literally. It was recently reported that the poor working conditions caused a man to suffer...

Why The Reputation Of Your Attorney Is Important

The practice of Workers' Compensation in Illinois is best described as a "niche" practice because of the small number of attorneys who represent people injured at work. Unfortunately, not every lawyer who represents people in workers' compensation cases is competent to do so. It is essential when seeking legal representation for a workers' compensation claim to hire an attorney with an excellent reputation. A good attorney must have a thorough knowledge of the law, be diligent in protecting their client's...

Scaffolding Fall In Corn Sweetener Plant Kills Worker

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration is investigating the tragic death of a worker in Decatur. The man reportedly fell from a collapsing scaffold while cleaning the inside of a tank at the Archer Daniels Midland Company plant, which is a corn sweetening facility. Rescuers were sent to the plant at about 2:30 p.m., and the 31-year-old contractor was found to be in a confined space. He wasn't removed from the space until 5 p.m., and shortly afterward he was...

Accident At Sheet Metal Plant Kills Worker

As we have mentioned to our Chicago readers in previous posts, the task for the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, or OSHA, is to develop and enforce safety regulations to keep our workplaces safe. It is a big job. OSHA could not be reached for a comment on an accident as a sheet metal plant that killed a worker. A 59-year-old worker was injured in a workplace accident at Soudan Metals on 319 West 40th Place on the South Side....

Libertyville Health Club Exposes Workers To Harmful Chemicals

If employers aren't aware of hazardous conditions in their workplace, they should be, especially if the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has already cited the employer for the dangers. In many cases, OSHA will inspect a work environment and give the employer a period of time to make any necessary changes before penalizing the company. That was the deal for a health club in Libertyville, but Capital Fitness Inc., the parent company of the club, apparently failed to act to protect the safety...

Survivor Workers Comp Benefits For Same-Sex Partner

One of the hot-button topics this election season is same-sex marriage. In Illinois we passed a law in 1996 that says marriage is only between a man and a woman. However, lawsuits are working their way through Cook County courts for refusing to marry same-sex couples or recognize out-of-state gay marriages. What does this have to do with workers' compensation you might ask? The state of Alaska is similar to ours in that the state does not perform same-sex marriages....