The Indiana House on Wednesday unanimously approved amendments to a bill that would fine Indiana employers up to $132,598 for a worksite fatality stemming from workplace safety standard violations, according to the state’s legislative website. The Senate unanimously passed H.B. 1341 on April 2. The bill amends Indiana code on workplace safety, which stipulates fines of $7,000 to $70,000 for…
Increasing the availability of personal protective equipment for women are among keys to bringing and advancing more women in safety roles in organizations, according to a report released Thursday by the American Society of Safety Professionals. Other areas to focus include offering more advancement opportunities to women and reducing violence against women at work, according to the report, which the…
Years after three Crown Point bicyclists sued each other for negligence after a crash, the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed an order and implementation of a settlement agreement when it found the parties had never come to a valid agreement. While cycling on a paved Crown Point bike path in August 2012, Ana Martins collided with tandem riders Richard and…
The annual Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index documents the top 10 causes of the most serious workplace injuries – those causing an employee to miss five or more days from work – and ranks them by their direct cost to employers, which consists of medical and lost-wage payments. The insurer’s report also identifies the top causes of serious workplace injuries…
A woman is seeking damages following the death of her daughter who was killed in a car accident. Katherine Roach, as special administrator of the estate of Jada Woodard, filed a complaint on March 18 in Cook County Circuit Court against Sander Y. Castro, Max Barnes and Tequia Bellanger. According to the complaint,Woodard died after a 2013 Dodge Durango was…
The victim of an alleged drunken driving accident will have the opportunity to seek punitive damages after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined summary judgment for the allegedly drunken driver was not appropriate. After drinking nearly three beers while driving from Hobart to Valparaiso, Ronald Brown rear-ended Ismael Alicea and fled the scene. Despite later lying to a sheriff’s deputy…
Workplace injury and illness rates have continued to decrease in the U.S. across all demographic categories but are dropping the most among younger workers, according to a study released Monday by the National Council on Compensation Insurance Inc. Incidents of workplace injury and illnesses are continuing to decline about 2% to 3% annually, according to Boca Raton, Florida-based NCCI. In…
A study of workplace injuries in 27 states, including Missouri and Illinois, shows rural workers injured on the job received prescriptions for opioid pain relievers 68% percent of the time, while their urban counterparts got them 44% of the time. The study was conducted by the Workers Compensation Research Institute, an independent group that does research for insurance companies, employers…
A complaint accuses a Chicago nursing home over the choking death of a female patient with dementia. Patricia Wesley, as independent administrator of the estate of Alberta Townsend, filed a complaint on March 22 in Cook County Circuit Court against The Villa at Windsor Park, Villa Financial Services LLC, and others. According to the complaint, Townsend was a resident at…
After House and Senate Democrats sent SB 1596 to Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s desk, the Illinois Chamber of Commerce is petitioning the governor to veto the Workers’ Compensation reform bill. The chamber’s recent letter to Pritzker outlines a handful of potential adverse effects on small businesses and invokes Pritzker’s campaign promise to involve employers in any reform process. “We urge you…
