Monthly Archives

September 2021

Does IL workers’ comp trump biometric privacy law? IL Supreme Court considers, with ‘financial fate of IL employers at stake’

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

Saying the “financial fate” of Illinois employers could ride on the decision, the operators of a Chicago nursing home have asked the justices of the Illinois Supreme Court to rein in the state’s sweeping biometrics privacy law, which has created a stampede of class actions targeting Illinois businesses, by declaring workers’ claims against their employers under the biometrics law actually…

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Opioid spending in comp continues to decline

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

Workers compensation pharmacy costs continued to decline during the COVID-19 pandemic due to a steady reduction in opioid use, according to data released Wednesday by CompPharma LLC. The Maggie Valley, North Carolina-based consulting company for pharmacy benefits managers surveyed those managing prescriptions for injured workers and found that despite reports of increased opioid use among workers comp patients during the…

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Insurance carrier denies uninsured motorist claim due to workers’ compensation settlement

By Personal Injury No Comments

A St. Clair County man is being sued by his employer’s insurance carrier, which alleges it did not consent to a workers’ compensation claim settlement relating to injuries from a collision. State Auto Property and Casualty Insurance Company filed a complaint Sept. 9 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against Kenneth Grasle. According to State…

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Early therapy benefits back injury outcomes in comp

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

Early manual therapy for injured workers with lower back pain is associated with lower utilization of medical services, lower medical and indemnity payments, and shorter disability, according to a study released Tuesday by the Workers’ Compensation Research Institute. Using data from 18 study states, the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based institute examined outcomes of manual therapy, which it describes as a type of…

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Chicago-Area Deputy Awarded $7.5M in Spinal Injury Lawsuit

By Personal Injury No Comments

A federal jury has awarded $7.5 million in damages to a suburban Chicago sheriff’s deputy who sued after he was severely injured during a 2014 training exercise. The (Arlington Heights) Daily Herald reported that the jury found that the maker of law enforcement equipment was liable for a 12-gauge tactical knockout breaching round that penetrated into DuPage County Sheriff’s Deputy…

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Comp pays more than group health on similar medical services

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

Workers compensation insurers pay more for medical services than that of group health to treat comparable injuries, according to a research report released Friday by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. In examining the workers comp experiences from NCCI’s medical data call, which captures transaction‐level detail — service, charges, payments, procedure codes and diagnosis codes — on medical bills processed…

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Mother alleges premature infant suffered partial intestine removal after developing NEC

By Personal Injury No Comments

A mother is suing Mead Johnson and Abbott, claiming her premature son required part of his intestines to be removed after developing necrotizing entercolitis. Ariana Adorno, on behalf of herself and her minor child E.S., filed a complaint Sept. 1 in the Madison County Circuit Court against Mead Johnson & Company LLC, Mead Johnson Nutrition Company and Abbott Laboratories, alleging…

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Woman claims elevation change in sidewalk caused her fall outside Bethalto business

By Personal Injury No Comments

A woman who fell over an elevation change in the exit way leading to the public sidewalk at a business in Bethalto and suffered injuries is claiming negligence. Clara Couch filed a complaint Aug. 27 in the Madison County Circuit Court against Peach Investments LLC and Whitfield Insurance Agency Inc., doing business as Illinois Insurance Agency, alleging negligence and premises…

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Justices: Teen injured in crash failed to mitigate damages, but trial court erred in damages reduction

By Personal Injury No Comments

Two former classmates battling in court over damages stemming from a 2016 car accident each took home a partial victory from the Indiana Supreme Court on Tuesday. The justices ruled that a trial court properly reduced the suing student’s damages for her failure to mitigate, but also found the that trial court erred in its reduction of those damages when…

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