Workplace fatalities jumped 8.9% in 2021 from the prior year, while the fatal work injury rate increased only minimally during that same period, according to figures released Friday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The country saw a total of 5,190 fatal work injuries last year, up from 4,764 in 2020. The fatal work injury rate stood at 3.6…
Emergency room visits by injured workers showed “substantial variation” across 28 states, even for the same injuries, calling into question whether some state programs push the more expensive care at the onset of an injury regardless of medical necessity, according to a report released Monday by the Workers Compensation Research Institute. In 2021, emergency room utilization for initial medical services…
An Illinois appeals court has partially reversed a Workers’ Compensation Commission ruling overturning an arbitrator’s issuance of temporary total disability benefits to a retail worker injured during a December 2018 workplace accident. In McGaha v. The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission, the Fifth District Appellate Court of Illinois on Tuesday partially overturned a May Wayne County Circuit Court decision siding with…
A negligence lawsuit has been filed against Illini Grain Systems, alleging one of its drivers became intoxicated while on the job and caused a collision. Plaintiff Jacob A. Johnson and Mary L. York, guardian and personal representative of plaintiff Hunter W.L. Jaycox, filed a lawsuit in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against defendants Illini Grain Systems, LLC, doing business…
A tenant at a Belleville apartment is suing her landlord, alleging she was injured by a malfunctioning door. Plaintiff Kristen Bennet filed a lawsuit in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Dale Leopker and The Estates Property Management, citing negligence and carelessness. According to the lawsuit, Bennet was a resident living in a Belleville apartment that was owned and…
A delivery driver has filed a negligence lawsuit against Prairie Farms Dairy after alleging slipping and injuring himself on the premises. Plaintiff Michael Maddox filed a lawsuit in the Madison County Circuit Court against Prairie Farms Dairy, Inc., citing negligence and carelessness. According to the lawsuit, Maddox was a delivery driver and was carrying out the duties of his job…
Traffic crashes cost Indiana 930 lives in 2021 and more than $8 billion annually, according to a national report from Washington, D.C.-based Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. To reduce crashes and fatalities, the group says Indiana should adopt a list of new laws, ranging from a motorcycle helmet mandate to a requirement that learners complete more drive time before…
The Sky Zone Trampoline Park in Fairview Heights is being sued after a child allegedly fell and injured himself due to an overcrowded trampoline court. Plaintiff Kimberly Harkins, as legal guardian of K.R., filed a lawsuit in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Innovative Heights Fairview Heights, LLC, doing business as Sky Zone Trampoline Park, citing negligence and carelessness….
A hotel guest is suing after she was allegedly attacked by a dog at a Super 8 Hotel in Alton. Plaintiff Divine Thomas filed the lawsuit in the Madison County Circuit Court against Nicole A. McCane, Shondalynn Yvette Lunsford, Super 8 Worldwide, Inc, Wyndham Hotels and Resorts LLC, doing business as Super 8 by Wyndham Alton, and Shivam Hotel, LLC,…
A man who bought a vehicle then sued the seller for damages because the brakes gave out while driving home from the sale will not receive any relief from the nearly $1,500 judgment against him. In March 2021, James Ayers went to Jackie Stowers’ residence to purchase a 2002 Chevrolet Trailblazer. After a short test drive, Ayers asked about a…
