Monthly Archives

September 2018

First responder comp bills introduced to limited success

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

The introduction of legislation impacting first responders was named the top trend in workers compensation reforms countrywide by the National Council on Compensation Insurance despite the fact that only a handful of bills have passed to date. Boca Raton, Florida-based NCCI tracked 814 state bills in 2018 and found that 103 of them dealt with first responders battling post-traumatic stress…

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Passenger sues AeroMexico after July plane crash in Mexico

By Personal Injury No Comments

A passenger is suing a Mexican airlines in a case involving the crash of a jet bound for Chicago on July 31. Dorelia Rivera filed a complaint on Sept. 12 in Cook County Circuit Court against AeroMexico and AeroMexico Connect, alleging she was injured while on Flight 243 departing Durango, Mexico, for Chicago, because the pilots allegedly were negligent in…

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Appeals panel undoes $4.6M verdict for man who claimed contracted cancer from asbestos in welding rods

By Personal Injury No Comments

A state appeals panel has overturned a $4.6 million judgment in favor of a man who said he contracted mesothelioma by inhaling asbestos fibers while working near welding rods. Justices Peter Cavanagh, Lisa Holder White and Craig DeArmond of the Fourth District Appellate Court in Springfield issued an opinion Sept. 5 in a dispute between former welder Charles McKinney and…

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Worden tenant alleges rotting flooring gave way

By Personal Injury No Comments

A tenant is suing his Worden landlord after he was allegedly injured when rotting flooring gave way. Jeffrey Wright filed a complaint on Sept. 7 in Madison County Circuit Court against Daniel Rhodes, alleging the landlord negligently maintained the property in an unsafe and dangerous condition. According to the complaint, the plaintiff was injured when the flooring underneath his rented…

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Suit alleges driver sped through construction zone, injuring worker

By Personal Injury No Comments

A construction worker accuses a driver of speeding through a construction zone and causing injuries. Arthur Sims filed a complaint on Aug. 31 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against Brian C. Webb, alleging he sped through a construction zone. According to the complaint, the plaintiff was working in a construction zone on Frank Scott Parkway East in Shiloh when…

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Exclusive Remedy: The Scope of Protection in Illinois Workers’ Comp

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

Section 5(a) of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act provides the damages an employer must pay for work-related injuries. It specifies a worker injured in the line of duty cannot sue her employer or its other employees. That prohibition is easy enough to apply where one employee is injured by the negligence of another, or of the employer, at the business…

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United Airlines sued for inflicting “traumatic stress” after emergency landing

By Personal Injury No Comments

Passengers are suing United Airlines Inc. and CommutAir, claiming they were traumatized when the plane they were traveling in had to make an emergency landing. Pamela S. Glover, Gregory L. Glover and Scott E. Glover filed a complaint on Aug. 24 in Cook County Circuit Court, alleging , on Sept. 24, 2016, Pamela Glover was traveling with her granddaughter, identified…

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Woman injured in I-90 crash that killed passenger accuses Walmart of improperly installing tire

By Personal Injury No Comments

A motorist is blaming Walmart for a fatal crash that allegedly happened after her vehicle’s front tire was changed at Walmart but “deflated and came entirely off the rim,” as she drove on Interstate 90, causing two vehicles to slam into her car. Carlota Brinson filed a complaint on Sept. 5 in Cook County Circuit Court against Walmart and Matthew…

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7th Circuit reinstates Renssalaer workers’ “popcorn lung” claim

By Personal Injury No Comments

The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated a claim filed by nearly 30 workers who argue a microwave popcorn plant failed to warn them of exposure during the manufacturing process to a butter flavor ingredient that has been linked to a disease known as “popcorn lung.” The workers allege that exposure caused them to suffer from respiratory injuries related to…

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Opioid prescriptions in comp sector continue to decline: Report

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

In the first six months of 2018, opioid prescriptions to injured workers declined six percentage points, according to a report released Tuesday by Optum Inc.’s Workers’ Compensation and Auto No-Fault program. The Eden Prairie, Minnesota, pharmacy benefits management’s recent report falls in line with similar figures in workers comp that show dips in opioids in the comp sector, showing that…

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