The Supreme Court on Thursday sided against a Missouri man who claimed that the herbicide Roundup caused his cancer. The majority of the court backed an argument from the product’s manufacturer that the lawsuit should have been barred because the federal government does not require a cancer warning on the label. Justice Brett Kavanaugh wrote the opinion for a 7-2…
A federal appeals court upheld workers compensation benefits for a former shipyard painter who developed breathing difficulties after years of exposure to paint fumes, chemicals and sandblasting materials. In Jeffboat Inc. and American Longshore Mutual Association Ltd. v. Director, Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs, and Calvin F. Chaffers, the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a Benefits Review Board…
Saying a St. Clair County judge applied an improper legal standard and allowed trial lawyers to bias a jury, an Illinois appeals court has tossed out a $60 million verdict in favor of a woman who claimed formula maker Mead Johnson should pay for her premature baby’s death, allegedly from an illness caused by Enfamil baby formula. On June 12,…
Litigation is creeping deeper into workers compensation claims, adding cost and complexity for employers, even as the line remains broadly profitable and protected by exclusive remedy. “We’re operating in a more adversarial claim environment than we ever have,” said Matt Hannon, New York-based national casualty practice leader for Aon in North America. “Litigation is being driven by both economic pressures…
The Indiana Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in two cases on June 30, one of which involves the reversal of a $42 million damages award given to an Avon man who was seriously injured in a 2017 crash involving a truck owned by Tesla. At 9 a.m., the state’s high court will hear oral arguments in the case, Shepard…
As heat exposure becomes a more visible workplace risk, workers compensation claims professionals say disputes are not always about whether a worker suffered a classic heat illness, but whether heat contributed to another medical event or injury. That question is complicating causation reviews in claims involving fainting, falls, cardiac symptoms, dehydration or other events that may not initially be coded…
An Illinois man who suffered severe injuries to his hand and fingers in a dog attack received a $300,000 settlement, the law firm John J. Malm & Associates said. The man attacked by two pit bulls while taking his German Shepard for a walk in the town of Elgin. The incident occurred when he tried to separate the pit bulls…
The Seventh Circuit declined to revive a former Department of Homeland Security employee’s lawsuit challenging his termination and alleging disability discrimination, ruling that he failed to timely follow administrative requirements before filing a complaint in court. Dored Shiba, who worked as an immigration officer for US Citizenship and Immigration Services, didn’t initiate an internal equal employment opportunity complaint within 45…
The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed a man to sue a major logistics company after he lost part of his leg in a semi tractor-trailer crash, a decision that could have big ripple effects across the trucking industry. The justices ruled unanimously in favor of Shawn Montgomery, whose parked vehicle was hit by a speeding truck driver on an Illinois…
Heat-related worker injury claims can range from quickly resolved dehydration cases to catastrophic injuries requiring emergency care, organ damage and potential long-term disability, according to workers compensation experts. That makes early recognition and rapid response critical, particularly as employers face increased scrutiny over heat exposure and as claims teams prepare for more questions about how heat illnesses are reported, treated…
