An appeals court dismissed a railroad conductor’s claims that he was fired for reporting a workplace injury. In Holloway v. Soo Line Railroad Co., d/b/a Canadian Pacific, a three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago on Wednesday unanimously affirmed a decision by the U.S. District Court in Chicago that a railroad company provided sufficient evidence…
An appellate court in Illinois on Monday denied additional workers compensation-related disability benefits to an injured beverage distributor whom it claims did not seek job rehabilitation services in light of his diminished abilities stemming from a back injury that aggravated a degenerative condition. John Bohentin had been working in the beverage distribution business for over 30 years and for North…
Authorities say an 82-year-old church bus driver is charged with driving while intoxicated after five people were injured when a bus returning from a Chicago Bulls game went off the road in northwestern Indiana. Indiana State Police say the bus carrying nearly 50 people went onto an embankment late Monday along the Indiana Toll Road and passengers were tossed from…
A motorist who claimed he suffered injuries after his vehicle was rear-ended on a Fort Wayne street was denied relief in a small claims court, but his fortunes took a U-turn Thursday when the Indiana Court of Appeals overturned the lower court’s rulings. David Martin sued Jose Ramos in Allen Superior Small Claims Court after Ramos struck the back of…
A lawsuit says a northern Indiana city shares responsibility for a crash that killed two children and a man who were walking along a sidewalk. Authorities say Leonard Grosswiler was driving in August 2017 when his vehicle struck five pedestrians in Elkhart, killing 8-month-old Dolly Thomas, 11-year-old Courtney Smith and 22-year-old Shawn Wolcott. He was sentenced in December to 15…
Worker misclassification in the construction business, done to avoid workers’ compensation and payroll taxes, is a growing problem nationwide, and Indiana is no exception, according to a local news report. Legitimate commercial contractors told an Indiana TV station this week that fraudulent misclassification appears to be spreading in the industry. Some contractors can shave 30% off their bids by classifying…
A woman is suing Mayfield Health Center, alleging the long-term care facility improperly cared for her mother, contributing to her mother’s death. Linda Brown filed a complaint on Feb. 14 in Cook County Circuit Court, alleging they breached their duty to provide appropriate care to her mother, Christine Miles. According to the complaint, from January-March 2017, Miles “suffered from multiple…
Are employees injured at work more likely to file under workers’ compensation instead of group health insurance when their group health plan has a higher deductible? The Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) found evidence they do in a new study it says has great relevance since the number of workers in health insurance plans with high deductibles is growing. “In…
An Illinois appeals court held that questions remain over whether the Chicago White Sox and their roofing contractor failed to protect an electrician who slipped and fell on the roof, suffering career-ending nerve damage. In Zahumensky v. Chicago White Sox Ltd., the Appellate Court of Illinois, 1st District, 1st Division on Tuesday reversed a circuit court decision that dismissed the…
Injured miners and construction workers are in the occupations most likely to receive an opioid prescription, the study shows. Injured workers living in “rural” or “very rural” areas were up to 25% more likely than urban injured workers to receive opioid painkillers. Injured workers in rural areas are more likely to receive prescriptions for opioids, a new study shows. The…
