A former Sam’s Club employee claims she was fired for seeking worker’s compensation benefits after she was injured on the job. Plaintiff Magdalena P. Szetlak filed the lawsuit in the Madison County Circuit Court against Sam’s Club, citing wrongful termination in violation of the Illinois Worker’s Compensation Act. According to the lawsuit, Szetlak was an employee of a Sam’s Club…
An Illinois appeals court has reinstated the workers compensation benefits of a crossing guard injured in a slip-and-fall incident, ruling that a lower court was wrong to overturn the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission’s awarding of medical benefits in the case. The First District Appellate Court of Illinois, Workers’ Compensation Commission Division Thursday determined that the commission was correct to award…
A businesswoman who was sued after one of her employees injured herself on the sidewalk outside of her home can’t be blamed for the icy conditions that led to her fall, the Court of Appeals of Indiana has affirmed. Andrea Burns was an executive director with Pure Romance, “a direct sales company that provides bath and beauty, sexual health education…
The former operator of a suburban Chicago medical equipment cleaning plant has agreed to pay $408 million to settle hundreds of lawsuits alleging that the now-shuttered facility exposed residents to a toxic industrial gas and caused illnesses. Sterigenics announced Monday that a claims administrator will be appointed to distribute the money to as many as 870 people who had sued…
Indiana lawmakers are considering a bill that would create a state-funded program to provide unspecified income and mental health services to first responders who have been involved in “a qualified critical incident.” H.B. 1136, introduced Tuesday, would establish the Indiana “first responders mental health wellness fund and program” and would cover those who are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder following…
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed a budget bill Monday that included provisions addressing the increasingly popular topic of reducing injuries among warehouse workers. Pritzker signed S.B. 1720, a budget implementation act for fiscal year 2023 that also creates the Warehouse Safety Standards Task Force. The task force is charged with providing the governor and lawmakers quarterly updates about its findings,…
Opioid prescribing in workers compensation nosedived to an all-time low last year, a new report finds, but experts say the picture is complicated, with other drugs taking over the pain management space, among other factors. AmTrust Financial Services Inc. reported in October that only 15.2% of its workers compensation claims for 2021 involved an opioid prescription, down from 60% in…
Freeburg Community High School District is being sued after a former student allegedly injured his hand with a table saw. According to the lawsuit, plaintiff Cole Huelsmann claims he was acting as an assistant in an industrial arts class in November 2021. He was cutting wood when his “right hand met the blade of the saw, causing Cole severe injuries.”…
A man is suing a Wood River tool store after he allegedly suffered injuries from a “defective” router. Plaintiff William P. Sloan filed the lawsuit in the Madison County Circuit Court against Waltco Tools Inc. and DeWalt Industrial Tool Company. According to the complaint, Sloan purchased a DeWalt router from Waltco Tools in Wood River. He claims the router had…
A woman is suing the City of Alton after she allegedly tripped on an uneven sidewalk while leaving a downtown bridal shop. According to the lawsuit, plaintiff Danielle Conn claims she was leaving Frew’s Bridal on Piasa Street in Alton when she allegedly fell in a “depressed area” of the sidewalk and fractured her ankle. Conn claims the city knew…
