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Category: General Interest Blog

Is Dust A Major Cause Of Worker Illness?

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 workplace are in violation of OSHA regulations, and workers who are injured on the job are likely eligible to receive workers' compensation benefits. With these...

IL Factory Explosion That Injured Three Prompts OSHA Investigation

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 to gain compensation for the costs associated with those injuries. The latest explosion happened Wednesday last week at a paint factory in Cary, about 45...

Benefits Of Lump Sum Payments To Injured Workers

When a Chicago worker suffers an on-the-job injury, the employer and the employee may have different motivations and thoughts about what should happen next. An employer may want the worker to get back on the job as quickly as possible and minimize the financial impact. An employee may be more concerned about healing, and more concerned about the financial impact of the injury. A recent study conducted by the Workers Compensation Research Institute, looked for patterns among those who were...

Worker Suffers Serious Head Injury After Bus Hit

In Chicago, road construction is an activity that goes on 24/7 during most of the year. When a road is being repaired, the lanes may close down from five to three or four, and the traffic backs up. This construction-made traffic jam is filled with motorists and truck drivers as well as buses. A road construction accident that occurred in the Detroit area could easily have happened in Chicago. A road worker was nicked by a bus, but the pole...

Does Illinois Workers Compensation System Function Well?

It is easy to form an opinion about something when someone hasn't had a personal experience with the matter. Being injured on the job and then losing the ability to work and support one's family is a significant loss. Having to fight for workers' compensation claims is rarely something that an injured worker wants to do; it is something they have to do and have the right to do. Employers are required to have insurance in case a worker is...

DA Reviewing Roadside Worker Death In Kansas

Everyone in Illinois, and in other states, knows how dangerous construction zones can be. Both workers and drivers must be observant at all times. One moment of inattentiveness could lead to a serious, or sometimes even fatal, accident. Such is the case for a 22-year-old man who was killed earlier this month in Kansas. An employee representative for Construction Inc. explained that this was the first reported construction zone death for one particular county this year. This doesn't take away...

Types Of Wages Earned From Workers Compensation

Determining proper wages is an essential issue in every worker's compensation claim. It has been written by legal experts in this field that the Illinois Worker's Compensation Act is a "wage driven system." Why is this so? The short answer is that all benefits received under the act are derived from the Average Weekly Wage of the injured worker. Wage driven workers' compensation benefits in Illinois include: Temporary Total Disability (TTD) - weekly benefits paid for periods of disability from...

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...