An Alton rehab facility and others are accused of wrongfully putting a heart patient through physical therapy, which allegedly caused him to suffer cardiac arrest. Shelby Gavellas, special administrator of the Estate of James Gavellas filed a complaint Jan. 8 in the Madison County Circuit Court against OSF Healthcare St. Anthony’s Health Center, Behfar Dianati, M.D., CEP Amerida-Illinois Hospitalists LLP,…
St. Elizabeth’s Hospital is accused of failing to properly diagnose and treat a patient’s brain hemorrhage, which allegedly caused her to be permanently disabled. Tracy Perkins, as guardian of the person and Estate of Ralpha Perkins-Davis, a disabled person, filed a complaint Jan. 5 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Kevin Thompson, M.D., Huzefa Chinwala, M.D., and St….
The owners of a dog that allegedly attacked a woman who was walking by their house are being sued for allegedly violating the state’s Animal Control Act. Deborah Spivak filed a complaint Jan. 6 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Mark Sandheinrich and Karen Sandheinrich, alleging violation of the Illinois Animal Control Act. Spivak alleges in her complaint…
Health care workers pose the greatest risk of developing COVID-19 infections and, relatedly, have been most likely to submit workers compensation claims, according to the results of a study released Tuesday. The study, published in Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine and conducted by AF Group in Lansing, Michigan, and Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, revealed that…
A former truck driver for a gas and chemical company is alleging he was told to resign or be fired in retaliation for filing a workers’ compensation claim. Joel Straus filed a complaint Jan. 4 in the Madison County Circuit Court against Air Products and Chemicals Inc., alleging retaliatory discharge. Straus was employed as a truck driver for Air Products…
The effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on workers compensation claims varied substantially by state in the first half of 2020, with claims figures significantly affected by outbreak severity and whether a coronavirus presumption order or law was in place, according to a study released Thursday by the Workers Compensation Research Institute. Cambridge, Massachusetts-based WCRI researchers said there was “tremendous variation…
Indiana lawmakers have proposed a bill Monday that would allow workers to choose their own physicians to treat their workplace injury or occupational disease. H.B. 1339 would allow workers to choose their own attending physician and require employers or their insurers to reimburse the chosen health care provider for the treatment of the compensable injury or illness. The bill states…
A bill introduced Wednesday in Illinois would make several changes to the state’s workers compensation code, including introducing protocols for investigating insurer premiums and changing the way cumulative trauma is covered. H.B. 218 would amend the Employer’s Liability Rates Article of the Illinois insurance law, to state that “a premium is excessive if it is likely to produce a profit…
Monsanto and more than a dozen other companies with current or former facilities in the Sauget region are being sued by the estate of a former tradesman alleging his exposure to toxic chemicals led to his death. Patricia Bishop, individually and as special representative of the Estate of Larry Bishop, filed a complaint Dec. 23 in the Madison County Circuit…
The COVID-19 vaccine rollout has begun in health care and senior living facilities across the U.S., and employers in many industries are eagerly awaiting the chance to have their employees vaccinated against the coronavirus. However, employers must balance their desire for a safe workplace with the risks of requiring vaccinations and the potential workers compensation implications if a worker experiences…
