Section 12 of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act is commonly referred to as an IME (Independent Medical Examination) and it is a key resource available to claims professionals who must make sensitive determinations regarding the current medical condition of an injured worker. In an IME a qualified medical practitioner who has not previously treated the worker, reviews the medical records…
A federal appeals panel in Chicago has agreed industrial seals and couplings maker John Crane Inc. should be afforded the chance to air its claims two law firms allegedly engaged in racketeering and fraud in the way they pressed asbestos-related personal injury claims against the company in the past. However, the judges also agreed with lower court judges that Chicago…
An O’Fallon hotel denies that it was negligent in a guest’s suit alleging she was injured due to the presence of bed bugs in her room. Sheree T. Williams filed her original complaint on Feb. 2 against Drury Hotels Co. LLC. In her complaint, Williams alleges that she was a guest at the O’Fallon hotel on June 29, 2017, when…
Indiana's workers' compensation board has released new application forms and guidelines for self-insurers, and the agency is urging employers to make sure they complete the form in full. “All of the attachments and additional information requested in item 7 must be provided,” the board said in a bulletin. "Incomplete applications cannot be processed and will not be approved." Item 7…
Workers’ compensation rates are falling across the US, a long-running trend that has finally caught up with California, the nation’s largest market, while deepening in others, such as New York. In California, where carriers set their own rates, State Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones has called for a rate rollback based on a cost benchmark of $1.74 per $100 of payroll…
A chiropractor is suing Universal Health Institute Ltd., a former employer, citing alleged breach of contract, violation of workers compensation acts, unpaid wages and violation of the Illinois Wage Payment and Collection Act. Raymond S. Manasia filed a complaint May 30 in Cook County Circuit Court accusing the defendant of underpaying his salary and failing to pay agreed bonuses. The…
The Illinois General Assembly has passed a bill that requires the pre-approval of workers’ compensation insurance rates by the Illinois Department of Insurance. The legislation also “permits sensible corporate restructuring for insurers and reinsurers,” according to the American Insurance Association. But, according to AIA’s Steve Schneider, vice president for state affairs, Midwest region, the group is “disappointed that policymakers have…
Workers’ compensation costs in Illinois have grown every year since reforms efforts in 2011. A study of workers’ compensation claims through March 2017 by the nonprofit Workers Compensation Research Institute found the state’s average cost to businesses rose by 1 to 3 percent annually since 2011. The study found medical payments, protections against loss (called indemnity), and administrative costs have…
Beginning July 2, all parties in workers’ compensation claims cases will receive notice through electronic means, so the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission needs updated email addresses, the commission announced this week. The commission will no longer send notices via mail after July 2. It’s part of a modernization effort by the commission to streamline operations and close down massive warehouses that…
A recent ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court that found companies should not be held liable for damages related to second-hand asbestos exposure is “common sense” and could affect similar cases in other states, according to Travis Akin, the executive director of Illinois Lawsuit Abuse Watch. “The ruling is just common sense,” Akin told the Cook County Record. “There was…
