After a severe auto accident left her quadriplegic, an Indiana woman won a $3.24 million verdict against the trucking company involved in the collision. Now, the Indiana Supreme Court must decide whether she can sue additional defendants for their alleged roles in the same accident. The high court on Tuesday heard oral arguments in Kathryn Davidson v. State of Indiana,…
COVID-19-related workers compensation claims fell last year compared with 2020, when the pandemic first hit the United States, but indemnity-only claims continued to represent the biggest share, a group of rating agencies said in a report released Tuesday. The average claim cost over the two-year period was $9,600, according to the report from the National Council on Compensation Insurance and…
While claim frequency in workers compensation has been flat for a decade, claim severity is increasing, and no industry is seeing it more than construction, according to panelists at the 42nd International Risk Management Institute Inc. Construction Risk Conference. “This is driven by medical advances,” said Mark Walls, vice president, communications & strategic analysis, for Safety National Casualty Corp. “They’re…
A woman is suing Eckert’s, Inc. after she allegedly fell on uneven concrete at the Belleville location. Plaintiff Debra Vahey filed a lawsuit in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Eckert’s, Inc., citing negligence. According to the lawsuit, Vahey was at the Belleville Eckert’s when she claims she stepped on broken and uneven concrete, causing her to fall and…
A Belleville driver is suing Robert Sanders Waste Systems, claiming one of its garbage truck drivers crashed into his vehicle. Plaintiff Michael Crawford filed a lawsuit in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Robert Sanders Waste Systems, Inc. and Bryan Richardson, citing negligence and carelessness. According to the lawsuit, on Oct. 5, 2021, Crawford was traveling west on Carol…
An annual study conducted by the National Academy of Social Insurance revealed workers compensation cost and benefits took a sharp downturn during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, while reporting at the state level uncovered a stark contrast in results. Data compiled by the academy ran over a five-year period from 2016 to 2020 and highlighted trends and outcomes…
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced Wednesday that it has launched a local emphasis program aiming to reduce the higher rates of injuries among the more than 90,000 food production workers in Illinois and Ohio. The program, which began Oct. 3, started with an initial outreach focused on more than 1,400 manufacturing facilities in Illinois and Ohio where year-round…
A patient is suing a Belleville hospital, claiming one of its doctors performed an unnecessary heart procedure and damaged an artery. Plaintiff Larry Crunk filed a lawsuit in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against St. Elizabeth’s Hospital of the Hospital Sisters of the Third Order of St. Francis and Paban Saha, M.D., citing medical malpractice. The lawsuit was filed…
A patient is suing medical centers and their staff for allegedly failing to diagnose a shoulder fracture before performing physical therapy. Plaintiff Karen Chatham filed a lawsuit in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Fairview Heights Medical Group, doing business as BJC Medical Group of Illinois, Charles, Lehmann, M.D., Gregory Churchill, PA, Protestant Memorial Medical Center, Inc., doing business…
A woman is suing a dog owner after his unleashed pit bull allegedly attacked and injured her daughter. Plaintiffs Anessa Bell and her minor daughter M. Johnson filed the lawsuit in the Madison County Circuit Court against defendant Aveon Jones, citing negligence. According to the lawsuit, Johnson was jumping on a trampoline in the front yard of her aunt’s home…
