Category

Workers’ Compensation

Bosses who bully undercut workplace safety, raise comp costs

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

Bosses who exhibit bullying behaviors can adversely impact the safety of their workplaces because bullied employees and their colleagues are less likely to engage in safe work practices, experts say. Failing to address bullying behaviors can affect a company’s bottom line through absenteeism, lower productivity and increased workers compensation costs, experts say. In early August, researchers from Portland State University…

Read More

Woman’s Lawsuit Says She Was Fired Over Comp Claim

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

A former employee of an Illinois automobile dealership has filed a lawsuit alleging she was fired after she considered filing a workers’ compensation claim for carpel tunnel syndrome. Chelsea Marinacci contends she was fired after telling her superiors at Tri Ford in Highland, Illinois, about her diagnosis and that she may have to file for benefits, according to an Illinois…

Read More

Injured workers more likely to die from suicide, drug overdose: Study

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

Occupational injuries have been linked to a higher occurrence of drug-related deaths and suicide, according to data posted Thursday by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The study, published in July’s American Journal of Industrial Medicine, examined New Mexico’s workers compensation data for 100,806 workers injured from 1994 to 2000 and Social Security Administration earnings and mortality data…

Read More

Lakeside Roofing worker alleges he was fired due to national origin, disability

By Personal Injury, Workers' Compensation No Comments

An employee of a roofing company alleges he was terminated from the job for requesting workers’ compensation benefits, alleging discrimination because of his disability and because he is of Mexican origin. Homero Serrano-Cardenas filed suit in Madison County Circuit Court against his former employer, Collinsville-based Lakeside Roofing, accusing the company of violating rules around workers’ compensation as well as provisions…

Read More

Injured workers using opioids may struggle to find willing doctors

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

Individuals using opioids have difficulty finding a physician willing to take them on as a patient, and workers comp patients likely face similar barriers to care, experts say. A University of Michigan study released in mid-July found that 40% of individuals taking an opioid for chronic pain were rejected as potential patients in group health. Opioid-using patients in the workers…

Read More

Former corner market employee alleges wrongful termination

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

A former employee of a corner market is suing after she was allegedly fired for filing a workers’ compensation claim. The employee, Rebecca Valle, claims she was terminated some time after she was injured while working at Curly’s Corner Market in Granite City. Valle filed suit in Madison County Circuit Court against the market and its manager, Amber Ronk. When…

Read More

Fewer Injured Workers Receiving Opioids Under Workers’ Compensation But States Vary

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

Fewer injured workers are receiving opioids to treat pain than in previous years, as medical providers are turning more to non-opioid medications and physical therapies. A new study of injured worker claims from 27 states by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI) finds that both treatments using non-opioid pain medications such as NSAIDs and non-pharmacologic treatments such as physical therapy…

Read More

Split appeals panel: Worker waited too long to sue contractor that installed switch for machine that injured his hand

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

A divided Illinois appeals court has ruled a man injured in a Chicago area workplace accident dawdled too long before suing the contractor who installed allegedly faulty machinery. However, the dissenting justice said the majority “penalized” the worker by unreasonably expecting him to have immediately known the contractor had done the installation. The July 16 ruling was written by Justice…

Read More

Man alleges lawyer mishandled his workers’ compensation claim

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

A client is suing his lawyer, alleging the defendant failed to properly represent him in a workers’ compensation claim. Peter Medor filed a complaint July 15 in Cook County Circuit Court against The Deratany Firm LLC and Greg Olmstead, alleging legal malpractice. According to the complaint, Medor entered into an agreement with Olmstead on Feb. 15, 2013, for legal representation…

Read More