Anyone in Chicago can attest to the fact that we work within a global economy. For decades, or perhaps more than a century, Chicago has been a hub of international business activity. According to business sources we have more than 1,500 foreign-based companies and more than $40 billion in foreign direct investment within our city.>> Read More

There are certain things that Illinois employees can expect from their employers, including a safe workplace. No employee should be concerned that he or she will become injured in a workplace accident and certainly should not have to worry about dying on the job. Sadly, not all employers are able to uphold this commitment to>> Read More

Workers’ compensation varies by state in terms of both the premiums paid by employers and the benefits obtained by ill or injured workers. Illinois is one of the high cost states, along with California and Alaska. Within the past 18 months, the governors of California and Illinois have signed comprehensive workers’ compensation reform. Employers are>> Read More

Those who belong to a minority population can frequently recall an instance of discrimination that he or she has encountered or witnessed. Discrimination can range from being fired from a job, turned down for an apartment rental or being passed over for a promotion. Even though there are anti-discrimination laws, favoritism and discrimination still occurs.>> Read More

A recent decision rendered by the Illinois Workers Compensation commission will go a long way in shaping how the American Medical Association (AMA) ratings will affect Permanent Partial Disability awards and settlements. As many already know, the Illinois General Assembly amended the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act in June 2011. Under the amendments and pursuant to>> Read More

If you are injured in a car accident while running a work-related errand outside of normal business hours, can you receive workers’ compensation for your injuries? In Illinois, the answer is yes, depending on the particular situation. A case heard by the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission involved a car accident in which a director of>> Read More

Earlier this month, a 60-year-old Chicago man was badly injured in a construction accident on the Far South Side. His story is an unfortunate example of how construction remains one of the most dangerous industries for workers today, even though it has made strides over the past few decades in protecting workers. According to the Chicago>> Read More

Here are a few things about workplace injuries that employers and their insurance companies don’t want to hear: that the full extent of your injuries may not be apparent at first; that you have the right to seek medical treatment from someone other than the “company doctor;” and that you have the right to deny>> Read More

There are some professions in which danger and injury is a normal part of the job. One of those professions is that of a Chicago firefighter. Despite the training, the safety gear and all of the precautions, it still happens occasionally that a firefighter suffers an on-the-job injury. In Oak Lawn recently there occurred a>> Read More

Chicago is home to one regional office of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration. The federal agency investigates all kinds of work-related accidents, but it pays special attention to fatal accidents, which happen all too often in the construction business. But even when OSHA rules that an employer was in violation of federal guidelines in>> Read More

There shouldn’t be any question: employees in Chicago and throughout Illinois are entitled to a reasonably safe workplace. This right is granted by law in the Occupational Safety and Health Act, which the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, otherwise known as OSHA, enforces. Employers who neglect to take the necessary steps to ensure a safe>> Read More

In a recent post we discussed an explosion at a Caterpillar plant that seriously injured a worker. Unfortunately, a similar catastrophe has occurred at another Illinois factory, injuring three workers this time. The workers in the more recent accidents may face the same struggles, both in their physical recovery from burn injuries and their attempts>> Read More