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OSHA Cites Home Depot For Worker Safety Issues

Our Chicago readers know that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration has a big job to do. In addition to investigating workplace accidents which have already happened, OSHA works to develop safety rules and conducts inspections to make sure that those worker safety rules are being followed. Recently it was reported that OSHA cited The Home Depot in Chicago for safety violations. Specifically, OSHA stated that the superstore was exposing workers to electrical hazards. The citations came after an anonymous...

Rollover Car Accident Injures Police Officer In Unmarked Car

When we think of a Chicago police officer injured in the line of duty, we may think of someone shot by a bad guy. Perhaps an undercover officer is busted for being a cop and is shot. The truth is that most police officers are injured in motor vehicle accidents. According to the Center for Disease Prevention and Control police officers are among the top fifteen occupations for risk of fatal occupational injury. The CDC says that nine out of...

Family Sues After Workplace Accident Death

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration is one of several regulatory agencies that strive to keep workers safe. Even so, accidents can happen especially in certain industries such as construction. When OSHA finds a violation, they can levy a fine against a company, but that does not always stop the unsafe workplace practices. In Chicago last year a workplace accident in a factory resulted in the death of a factory worker. Under normal circumstances, the worker's family would be eligible...

Kristen Chenoweth Injured In Scaffolding Accident

Kristin Chenoweth has released multiple country music albums, worked on Broadway musicals and has a reputable television career. And no matter if Chenoweth steps onto a performance stage, a movie set or a television studio, she is entitled to a safe work environment. This expectation is the same for all employees in Chicago, Illinois -- employers need to provide a healthy and structurally-sound workplace. When Chenoweth was recently on the set of the television show "The Good Wife," falling debris...

What Is Utilization Review What Is ?UR? ?

It is becoming increasingly clear that if you get injured on the job in Illinois, you will most likely need a workers' compensation lawyer, now more than ever, due to the most recent changes made to the workers' compensation laws in Illinois. These changes work against injured workers for the benefit of their employers' and their insurance carriers. Previously, the insurance companies primary method to try to control your medical care was by the use of an independent medical examination...

Injured Foxconn Worker Not Protected By US Workers Comp Laws

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. One of the benefits of being employed by a foreign company but working within our national borders, is that our laws apply to employees in...

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...