Our Blog

Teenage Workers & Workplace Injuries

For many teens, a first job means independence and a significant step towards adulthood. Few ever consider the possibility that they might be injured on the job or even lose their lives because their workplace is unsafe. Still, studies show that teens are injured at a higher rate than older workers. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), in the U.S. a teen is injured on the job every once every nine minutes. The statistics make...

$8.8 MILLION Settlement For Bus Accident Victim

An $8,800,000.00 settlement was reached in a traumatic brain injury case that occurred on april 21, 2009. The lawyers representing the injured party, Leonardo Elias, are Lawrence Ruder and Louis Cairo of Chicago's largest injury law firm, GWC. The defendant was represented by Kathleen McDonough, managing partner at Degal, McCambridge's office and attorney Brian Eldridge. Managing partner and personal injury lawyer, Louis Cairo, and partner, Lawrence Ruder, resolved the lawsuit against alltown bus company and their insurance carriers, scottsdale, lexington...

OSHA Fines Global Experience Specialists

A trade show contractor faces $91,000 in OSHA fines after a forklift accident at the McCormick Place Convention Center last fall. Federal officials say that one of the convention center's employees was severely injured when an employee of Global Experience Specialists drove over his foot with a forklift. The company allegedly failed to train or check the certification of the forklift operator after the incident, which provides the basis for the proposed fines against the Global Experience Specialists. "Employers, such...

OSHA Recommends Fining Chicago Masonry Company

OSHA officials are recommending $196,000 in fines against a Chicago-based masonry company that allowed its workers to be exposed to excessive amounts of lead during sandblasting operations. The fines follow an inspection of American Masonry Inc.'s sandblasting work at a commercial building that houses art studios. "When employers such as American Masonry knowingly ignore health requirements, they are unduly placing their workers at risk for illnesses, and that is unacceptable," said Nick Walters, OSHA's regional administrator in Chicago. "Lead exposure...

Workers Accused & Fired By Company After Suffering Injuries

Construction safety rules are intended to protect workers from unnecessary and avoidable risks. Unfortunately, they are often ignored in the field by those responsible for planning and scheduling work until the tragic moment when someone gets seriously hurt. Adding to the tragedy, these construction safety rules are then used to blame the worker for performing the dangerous work which he was exposed to because of bad decisions by others. GWC recently obtained a record settlement for an apprentice millwright who lost...

Burnside Porch Collapse Injures Worker

A Chicago man was injured in a Burnside construction accident last Monday. The Chicago Tribune reports that the injured construction worker was performing demolition work at a home when the front porch's roof collapsed on him. The 60-year-old worker was rushed to Northwestern Memorial Hospital with neck and back injuries. He was reportedly in stable condition and it is unclear whether he has already been released. A neck injury in a construction accident can be catastrophic and career-ending. Even if...

Controversy surrounds naming of Illinois-Missouri bridge

A growing controversy is swirling around the naming of a span of I-70 that connects Illinois and Missouri in the St. Louis area. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin recently announced proposed legislation to name the Interstate 70 bridge after baseball star Stan Musial, but many believe that the bridge should be named after a carpenter who was involved in a fatal construction accident while building the bridge. Senators from Illinois and Missouri are not opposed to naming something after the carpenter,...

Mike Neri Sewer & Water Contractor Inc. Cited By OHSA

An Elk Grove Village-based contractor was recently cited by federal officials for exposing its workers to serious construction site injuries. OSHA officials say that Mike Neri Sewer & Water Contractor Inc. exposed its workers to cave-in hazards at a Des Plaines construction site. "This is not the first time this contractor has exposed vulnerable workers to dangerous excavation hazards," said Nick Walters, OSHA's regional administrator in Chicago. "These types of hazards result in numerous fatalities and injuries every year. No...

Fatal Mine Accident Attributed To Lax Safety Procedures

Federal investigators have found that the death of an Illinois construction worker was due to lax safety procedures at a mine construction site. A report issued by the Mine Safety and Health Administration says that the fatal construction accident happened on May 15, 2012 when the worker was knocked over by an overloaded hose. The hose was being used to direct concrete into the mine shaft and form concrete walls. When the concrete came out of the hopper too quickly,...