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Category: General Interest Blog

IDOT Worker Killed In Accident IDOT Worker Dies

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 workplace safety. Luckily, injured employees and their families may be eligible for workers' compensation for a workplace accident or wrongful death. After an Illinois Department...

Illinois waiting for impact of workers’ compensation reform

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 waiting for the full effects of the new laws to take place. In Illinois, the workers' comp reform has two main aspects that should reduce...

STUDY: White Workers Get Higher Workers Compensation

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. According to a recent study, there are discrepancies between the amount of workers' compensation white construction workers receive in Illinois in comparison to Hispanic workers or...

Amendment To Illinois Workers’ Compensation

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 Section 8.1b of the Act the Commission shall base PPD awards on the following factors: the level of impairment according to the AMA guidelines the...

Are After Hours Injuries Covered By Workers Comp?

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 investment was injured. Her job required her to promote her employer's business, so to spruce up her employer's booth at a business exposition, she decided...

South Side Accident Leaves Man In Serious Condition

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 Fire Department, the man was working at a construction site in the 8300 block of South Lyon Avenue when a porch overhang fell on him....

OSHA Fines Norfolk Southern After Firing Worker

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 treatment immediately after a workplace accident. After all, your injuries may be worse than you initially thought they were. And one major thing that Chicago-area...

Three Firefighters Injured In Oak Lawn Blaze

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 house fire which resulted in extensive damage to the residence and an assortment of injuries to three firefighters that responded to the blaze. As these...

OSHA closes investigation of 2 deaths after building collapse

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 a construction accident, it's difficult for injured workers or their families to achieve a favorable outcome unless they have the help of an attorney. OSHA's...