Federal workplace safety officials have levied $1,591,176 in penalties against a silicon chemical products manufacturer after four employees suffered fatal injuries in an explosion and fire at the company’s Waukegan, Illinois, plant on May 3, 2019 The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also cited AB Specialty Silicones LLC for 12 willful federal safety violations and…
Workers compensation benefits paid to injured workers continue to decline, although covered employment and wages have continued to rise, according to study released Thursday by the National Academy of Social Insurance. In 2017, $62 billion in workers compensation benefits were paid, but medical benefits declined nearly 20% between 2013 and 2017 and cash benefits declined just under 17% in this…
An alleged trip and fall at an Amazon fulfillment center in Edwardsville has prompted a lawsuit as the plaintiff alleges the online retail giant and the owners of the facility are liable for his injuries. Jimmy Horneman filed suit Sept. 26 in St. Clair County Circuit against Amazon, which rents the property at Lakeview Corporate Drive in Edwardsville, and the…
An employee of a St. Clair County company alleges he was fired unlawfully after being injured at work and applying for benefits. Arlando V. Lusk filed suit Sept. 26 against Cardinal Pump Company in St. Clair County Circuit Court, alleging violations of the Workers’ Compensation Act along and “willful and wanton” conduct. Cardinal Pump, which distributes pumps, did not immediately…
Madison Consolidated Schools on Wednesday lost an appeal of a summary judgment denial in a lawsuit brought by a former student who was injured in a school bus crash. Trisha Thurston was a 16-year-old student passenger who was severely injured when a Madison school bus hit a guardrail on Interstate 64 in Floyd County in September 2014. The school’s insurer,…
An ammunition manufacturer, a gun distributor, and a store have all denied any liability for the loss of vision in one eye of a man who alleges a faulty gun and bullet were to blame. Johnny J. Markus filed suit in Madison County Circuit Court against Federal Cartridge Co., Du Page Trading and Precision Outfitters, alleging negligence and implied warranty….
Medical payments for workers compensation claims grew in several states between 2012 and 2017, but legislative changes in some states have reduced comp payments, according to studies released Thursday by the Workers Compensation Research Institute. The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based WCRI examined trends in payments, prices and utilization of medical care for injured workers in 18 states, representing more than 60% of…
U.S. employers lost $96 billion in lost productivity costs between 2015 and 2018 due to the opioid epidemic, according to a study released Tuesday by the Society of Actuaries. The Schaumburg, Illinois-based association concluded that costs associated with absenteeism, reduced labor force participation, opioid-related incarceration and employer costs for workers compensation and disability benefits make up 15% of total costs…
A trucking company and one of its driver face a lawsuit over an accident that led to injuries to the driver of another vehicle. Lydia Jackson filed suit in St. Clair County Ciccuit Court against AMS Trucking and driver Reginald Sharp over the collision, which happened on Sept. 14, 2017. Jackson stated in the complaint that she was driving south…
The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed changes to its current beryllium standards in the shipyard and construction industries, the agency announced this week. The proposed changes will ensure consistency with general industry standards based on the agency’s July 2017 final rule clarifying requirements for materials containing trace amounts of beryllium, according to an OSHA news release. The…
