Chicago Workers Compensation Lawyer Blog

A 50-year-old worker has sustained serious injuries in a Chicago construction accident at the Calumet Water Reclamation District Plant. Jeff Andrews fell 20-feet down a hole on April 21, 2011.

Officials say that he slipped off the top of a ladder to land on a coworker, who also got hurt. Chicago Fire Commissioner Robert Hoff says there was a lot of mud and clay, which made for sliperry conditions. A “stoke” basket was used by rescuers to lift the two men. Andrews, who sustained multiple head injuries, could not undergo surgery immediately because his condition was too unstable.

Construction Falls
Construction falls have been known to occur from roofs, scaffolding, cranes, ladders, floors under construction, through skylights and from other elevated heights. Workers injured in construction falls may sustain suffer head injuries, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, broken bones, and other serious (and possibly fatal) injuries.

If you or someone you love was hurt in a fall accident at a construction site, you should speak with an experienced Chicago construction accident law firm right away. In addition to your Illinois workers’ compensation benefits through your employer, you also may be entitled to injury compensation from other parties. There are a number of parties involved in the project who may be liable for your injuries.

Construction companies, contractors, and others involved with a building project know how dangerous the work can be. It is their job to make sure that the proper safety precautions are in place to prevent serious injury accidents and deaths. Unfortunately, many construction workers continue to be involved in catastrophic work accidents every year.

A construction worker who is seriously hurt may not be able to go back to work again. Such injuries can take a financial toll on the injured worker and his/her family. You should receive the compensation that you are owed.

Workers Fall Into Hole At Water Reclamation Plant, CBS Chicago, April 21, 2011

Construction Worker Suffers Serious Head Injury in Fall at Chicago Water Plant, Justice News Flash, April 22, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Construction Accidents, Justia

Preventing Fatal Falls in Construction, US Department of Labor

Continue reading " Chicago Construction Accident: Worker Sustains Serious Brain Injuries in Fall Accident at Calumet Water Reclamation District Plant " »

The State Senate has voted against a plan by Republican lawmakers that would require workers to prove that their employer was at least 50% responsible for the injuries they sustained on the job in order for him/her to be able to obtain Illinois workers’ compensation benefits. The bill, SB1349, was defeated with a 25-6 vote. 28 senators submitted a “present” vote.

Currently, with Illinois as a “no fault” state when it comes to receiving work injury benefits, it doesn’t matter who or what caused the injury, illness, or death as long as it is work-related. While Republicans believed the proposed requirement would protect businesses from having to pay for fraudulent claims, Democrats have said that this would allow employers to regularly challenge work injury claims and delay legitimate payments owed to workers.

Also rejected in the bill were proposals to:
• Reduce the rates paid to medical providers by 30%.
• Hand over to employers the authority to decide which doctor a worker should go see.
• Deny workers’ compensation benefits for injuries where alcohol or drugs were a factor.

Our Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers are here to make sure that our clients receive all of the work injury recovery that they are owed. Injured workers cannot sue their employers for Chicago personal injury. Right now, their only means of obtaining compensation for their work injuries is by filing a claim and having their company’s insurer pay them benefits and cover their related medical expenses. Unfortunately, there are insurers that will try to deny an injured worker his/her benefits.

Historic Reform of Illinois Worker's Compensation Fails to Pass Senate, Chicago Now, April 15, 2011

Illinois Senate Rejects Workers’ Compensation Changes, Insurance Journal, April 18, 2011

There's still hope': McCarter says Democrats thwarted workers comp reform, but he'll press on, BND, April 16, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Illinois Governor Pat Quinn

Workers' Compensation Benefits, Nolo

Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission

SB1349, Illinois General Assembly

More Blog Posts:
llinois Workers’ Compensation: House Passes “Uhl’s Law” that Denies Benefits to Employees Who Get Hurt When Committing a Felony, Chicago Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog, April 14, 2011

House Considers Eliminating Illinois Workers’ Compensation System, Chicago Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog, April 14, 2011

House Considers Eliminating Illinois Workers’ Compensation System, Chicago Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog, April 8, 2011

Federal Government Investigating State’s Handling of Its Own Employees' Illinois Workers’ Compensation Claims, Chicago Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog, March 31, 2011

Continue reading " Proposed Illinois Workers’ Compensation Requirement that Workers Must Prove Injuries are Job-Related is Rejected by the Senate " »

The Illinois House of Representatives has passed what will be know as “Uhl’s Law,” which is an act that prevents workers from receiving workers’ compensation benefits for injuries sustained while committing a felony. The Illinois senate passed a similar bill yesterday by a 59-0 vote.

The act is named on behalf of teen sisters Kelli and Jessica Uhl who were killed in a 2007 car crash on Interstate 64 after the vehicle in was struck by a squad car driven by Illinois State Trooper Matt Mitchell, who was using his cell phone and driving at a speed of about 126 mph at the time.

Mitchell would go on to plead guilty to reckless homicide. He also filed an Illinois workers’ compensation claim for injuries he sustained during the collision, which occurred while he was working. Mitchell's claim was denied, which was a decision that he appealed. His case is now before the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission.

Governor Pat Quinn now has to sign the bill for it to become law. However, because it is not retroactive, it would not apply to Mitchell’s Illinois workers’ compensation case.

Also up for a vote in the Illinois Senate is a reform bill that would require a claimant prove that a condition in the workplace played a greater than 50% role in the work-related injury or illness. Currently a claimant just has to prove that the work-related condition or injury could potentially lead to a medical condition or disability.

Now, more than ever, it is so important that you work with a Chicago workers’ compensation lawyer who can make sure that you receive the work injury benefits that you are owed. Employees cannot sue their employer for Chicago injury or wrongful death. With your medical costs, recovery expenses, and time off work that might otherwise result in lost wages, you need to receive your work injury benefits.

Senate passes workers' comp bill by vote of 59-0, BND, April 14, 2011

"Uhl's Law" passed, workers comp denied for those injured while committing a felony, KMOV, April 14, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Illinois Workers' Compensation Act

Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission

More Blog Posts:
House Considers Eliminating Illinois Workers’ Compensation System, Chicago Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog, April 8, 2011

Federal Government Investigating State’s Handling of Its Own Employees' Illinois Workers’ Compensation Claims, Chicago Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog, March 3, 2011

Review of Denied Illinois Workers’ Compensation Claim Requested by Ex-State Trooper Involved in Car Crash that Killed Uhl Sisters, Chicago Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog, March 24, 2011

Continue reading " Illinois Workers’ Compensation: House Passes “Uhl’s Law” that Denies Benefits to Employees Who Get Hurt When Committing a Felony " »

Tentative approval to end the Illinois workers’ compensation system was rendered during a voice vote of House members on Thursday. A final vote will be held soon.

Whereas now, employees are entitled to Illinois workers’ compensation recovery for injuries or illnesses sustained on the job regardless of who was at fault, without this system employers and employees would have to go to court to determine if and how much personal injury recovery was owed.

Businesses in Illinois have been complaining that workers can get workers’ compensation payments without having to provide clear evidence that an injury was sustained on the job. The state’s workers’ compensation system has also come under fire after reports that hundreds of government workers at one prison received work injury benefits.

Meantime, Gov. Pat Quinn has proposed limiting carpal tunnel syndrome payments and denying workers’ compensation to those injured at work while they were drunk. He also is calling for tougher screening before medical procedures are approved.

Having employers and employees resolve work injury disputes in civil courts could take a lot longer. It could also be more costly for everyone involved. If a worker doesn’t obtain compensation through the court system and doesn’t receive worker injury benefits, how is he/she going to pay for medical, living, and recovery expenses?

Our Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers are here to make sure that our clients receive all the work benefits that they are owed.

Ill. House may scrap workers' compensation, Bloomberg Businessweek, April 7, 2011

Representative Proposes to Eliminate Workers Compensation, Chicagoist, April 8, 2011

Related Web Resources:
Illinois Workers' Compensation Act (PDF)

Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission

More Blog Posts:
Federal Government Investigating State’s Handling of Its Own Employees' Illinois Workers’ Compensation Claims, Chicago Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog, March 31, 2011

House Votes to Audit State Employees' Illinois Workers’ Compensation Claims, Chicago Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog, March 17, 2011

State Arbitrator Tried to Keep Illinois Workers’ Compensation Hearings of Trooper Who Caused Deadly Car Crash that Killed the Uhl Sisters a Secret, Chicago Workers Compensation Lawyers Blog, February 10, 2011

Continue reading " House Considers Eliminating Illinois Workers’ Compensation System " »