Eight burn victims have filed suit against the Chicago-based maker of Pam cooking spray, saying they were severely injured when cans of the spray exploded in their kitchens. The plaintiffs’ attorney, J. Craig Smith, says larger cans of Pam and similar cooking sprays made by Conagra Brands have a faulty, U-shaped vent system in the bottom that makes them prone…
The purpose of hiring an investigator in workers’ compensation cases is to observe and document the movements of an injured employee. This allows the defense interests to introduce first-hand evidence into a hearing on the merits to demonstrate what someone is doing and their functional abilities – when they do not think someone is watching. The first and most important…
Electronic prescribing, or e-prescribing, allows health care providers to securely send prescription information from their computer or tablet directly to pharmacies. E-prescribing isn’t new, but it’s gaining ground quickly as more and more states are considering a mandate on this prescription transmission method. E-prescribing has seen a wave of support over the years, and one notable reason is the opioid…
Claims leaders rank psychosocial issues as the number one barrier to successful claim outcomes, according to Rising Medical Solutions’ 2016 Workers’ Compensation Benchmarking Study survey. A new white paper, co-authored by study program director Rachel Fikes and industry journalist Peter Rousmaniere, shows how claims advocacy principles at The Hartford, CNA, Nationwide, and Albertsons Companies are taming the effects of psychosocial…
Summary judgment was properly awarded to an insurance company that denied a request to defend a construction company in a negligence suit, the Indiana Court of Appeals found Tuesday. The judges ruled the terms of the policy only obligated the insurance company after a certain amount of damages had been paid. When Walsh Construction Co. began construction a traffic exchange…
The family of a 25-year-old St. Charles man killed when his motorcycle collided with a semi-truck last summer south of Elgin has filed a wrongful death and negligence lawsuit against the truck driver and his employer. Jordan Hale, 25, was riding his 2002 Suzuki SV650S motorcycle north on Route 25 when a southbound 1995 Ford L-Series truck, driven by David…
You hire new employees with the intent to maintain or increase your production and profitability, and not to increase your workplace injuries. Unfortunately, safety in the workplace is often overlooked on the new hire checklist. In fact, 40 percent of injured employees have been on the job less than one year (Occupational Safety and Health Administration). You can reduce your…
A driver is suing a truck company alleging that a tire failed him while driving and caused a crash. Commerce Tryst Company, as conservator and on behalf of the estate of Tony M. Carson, filed a complaint on April 1 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Tom Graddy Enterprises of St. Louis LLC doing business as Vanguard Truck…
The number of workplace injury claims continues to decline year after year despite significant changes in workforce demographics that one might think should increase claims frequency, according to a report released Monday by the National Council of Compensation Insurance. The number of workers aged 55 and over has nearly doubled since 2006, At the same time, that age group began…
The Indiana Court of Appeals has reinstated a woman’s negligence claim against her former employer, concluding he was considered a third party in the suit and could therefore not be shielded. Following her firing from All Steel Carports, Inc. in July 2016, Lora Brenner and her spouse sued All Steel, its former president, Ignacio Chavez, and the property’s owner, Chavez…
