A mail carrier is suing Edwardsville homeowners after she allegedly fell off their porch and suffered injuries during a mail delivery. Ann Clayton filed a complaint Aug. 12 in the Madison County Circuit Court against Bryan and Carrie Andreas and CS Gems, alleging negligence. According to the complaint, Clayton alleges that on Aug. 17, 2018, she was delivering mail to…
“Mega” workers compensation claims from the construction sector comprised approximately 40% of large claims from 2001 to 2017, yet made up 20% of indemnity claims, according to research released Tuesday by six ratings agencies including the National Council on Compensation Insurance and the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California. Researchers analyzed comp claims that surpass $3 million in costs,…
Payments for outpatient facility services in workers compensation drove up the cost of medical payments per claim by 6.6% from 2014 through 2018, according to a report issued Thursday by the National Council for Compensation Insurance. Overall, the cost of medical payments per claim rose 7.5% during that period, NCCI reported. Comprising approximately one-fifth of medical costs, hospital outpatient payments…
After hundreds of pounds of metal studs rained from the sky during a construction project, the Indiana Court of Appeals has decided which companies can be held responsible for the injuries that subsequently occurred. On Aug. 24, the court found the general contractor can’t be found liable but left open the chance of a subcontractor paying for the injuries of…
A locomotive engineer is suing Central Railroad Company, alleging the train’s cab seat collapsed and broke, causing him to sustain serious injuries. Joshua Ohmart filed a complaint July 28 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Illinois Central Railroad Company, alleging violation of federal law. According to the complaint, Ohmart was working as a locomotive engineer for Central Railroad…
Within the first week of reopening schools and welcoming back students and staff, several Indiana districts reported their first coronavirus cases. In central Indiana alone, at least half a dozen districts saw a teacher or student test positive for the virus last week—a reality the state’s top health official said is unavoidable. State officials aren’t shutting down schools, but insist…
More than one-third of states have accepted COVID-19 as an occupational illness for certain professionals, according to a report released Wednesday by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. Overall, 19 states have made changes to workers compensation compensability amid the pandemic, according to the Boca Raton, Florida-based ratings agency. Eleven states have issued executive orders, directives or emergency rules on…
The family of a suburban Chicago woman who died of complications related to COVID-19 has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a meatpacking plant where her husband worked and contracted the virus. The family of Esperanza Ugalde alleges in their lawsuit that Aurora Packing Co. in North Aurora failed to take steps to limit the spread of the coronavirus, the…
A motorist claims he suffered injuries when his vehicle was rear-ended by a Metro-East Transit employee. Charlie Harris filed a complaint July 29 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Metro-East Transit District of St. Clair County, doing business as St. Clair County Transit District, the St. Clair County Transit District Board of Trustees, Southwestern Illinois College, the Board…
A BJC Medical Group patient claims a physician failed to properly diagnose and treat her wound, which she claims led to an infection in her bone. Holly Olmstead filed a complaint Aug. 3 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Herbert Biel M.D., and BJC Medical Group of Illinois, alleging negligence. Olmstead alleges in her complaint that during a…
