A semi-truck driver who was seriously injured after the contents of his trailer fell on him upon opening the door after transport won partial judgment against the trucking company responsible for loading the trailer when an appellate panel found the company owed him a duty of care. Paul Wilkes, an over-the-road truck driver for Knight Transport, was dispatched in January…
Workers compensation payers disbursed 3.8% less for prescriptions in 2018, including a 15% drop in opioids, due to a decline in utilization and overall cost per prescription, according to a drug trends report released Thursday by MyMatrixx, a subsidiary of Express Scripts Holding Co. Overall, 65.9% of comp payers spent less on opioids in 2018, with 17.7% of injured workers…
Dozens of drivers have filed tort claims seeking money from the state of Indiana after their cars were damaged while driving on a 15-mile (24 kilometers), pothole-afflicted section of Interstate 69. The problematic stretch of highway extends between mile markers 219 in Pendleton and 234 in Daleville, The Star Press reported. Forty claimants are pursuing damages for repairs to brake…
Some companies may be exposed to more asbestos lawsuits under proposed legislation now on Illinois Gov. J.B Pritzker’s desk. The legislation, Senate Bill 1596, which has passed both chambers of the Illinois General Assembly, attempts to overturn a 2015 Illinois Supreme Court ruling in Folta v. Ferro Engineering, which essentially barred the plaintiff from suing in civil court and upheld…
The Indiana House on Wednesday unanimously approved amendments to a bill that would fine Indiana employers up to $132,598 for a worksite fatality stemming from workplace safety standard violations, according to the state’s legislative website. The Senate unanimously passed H.B. 1341 on April 2. The bill amends Indiana code on workplace safety, which stipulates fines of $7,000 to $70,000 for…
Increasing the availability of personal protective equipment for women are among keys to bringing and advancing more women in safety roles in organizations, according to a report released Thursday by the American Society of Safety Professionals. Other areas to focus include offering more advancement opportunities to women and reducing violence against women at work, according to the report, which the…
Years after three Crown Point bicyclists sued each other for negligence after a crash, the Indiana Court of Appeals reversed an order and implementation of a settlement agreement when it found the parties had never come to a valid agreement. While cycling on a paved Crown Point bike path in August 2012, Ana Martins collided with tandem riders Richard and…
The annual Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index documents the top 10 causes of the most serious workplace injuries – those causing an employee to miss five or more days from work – and ranks them by their direct cost to employers, which consists of medical and lost-wage payments. The insurer’s report also identifies the top causes of serious workplace injuries…
A woman is seeking damages following the death of her daughter who was killed in a car accident. Katherine Roach, as special administrator of the estate of Jada Woodard, filed a complaint on March 18 in Cook County Circuit Court against Sander Y. Castro, Max Barnes and Tequia Bellanger. According to the complaint,Woodard died after a 2013 Dodge Durango was…
The victim of an alleged drunken driving accident will have the opportunity to seek punitive damages after the Indiana Court of Appeals determined summary judgment for the allegedly drunken driver was not appropriate. After drinking nearly three beers while driving from Hobart to Valparaiso, Ronald Brown rear-ended Ismael Alicea and fled the scene. Despite later lying to a sheriff’s deputy…
