A man who was receiving treatment at Willowcreek Rehab after falling off a cliff claims he suffered injuries from negligent care. Francisco Vasquez filed a lawsuit in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Helia Healthcare of Belleville, LLC, doing business as Willowcreek Rehabilitation and Nursing, citing negligence in violation of the Illinois Nursing Home Care Act. According to the…
An Alton woman claims she and her children may have been exposed to friable asbestos and then wrongfully accused of arson after an intoxicated man hit their Alton rental property. Celia Pauli, also known as Pellegrino, individually and as next friend of her minor children Ava Pellegrino and Sebastian Pellegrino, filed the complaint in the Madison County Circuit Court against…
Several changes made in 2021 to the American Medical Association’s guide on disability ratings, which affect workers compensation claims, will have an “uncertain” effect on the diagnosis and disability determination for mental injury claims, according to an analysis released Monday by the National Council on Compensation Insurance. The Boca Raton, Florida-based ratings agency examined the AMA Guides, 6th Edition 2021,…
Employers who have yet to see a psych claim in their workers compensation programs are on notice, as experts say mental-only claims and physical injury claims with alleged mental components are on the rise — and many of them warrant defense. A trending topic in workers compensation, at least two sessions a day at the four-day Workers’ Compensation & Risk…
An inspection of a Skyjack scissor lift allegedly revealed so many defects and mistakes that injury plaintiff Tresean Gines changed his allegations, and Skyjack sued his employer. Gines amended his complaint in U. S. district court on Aug. 30, and Skyjack filed a third party complaint against Reliable Relamping on Aug. 31. Skyjack counsel Jacob Taylor of St. Louis claimed…
A Granite City man is suing his neighbors after their dog allegedly attacked him, causing him to suffer injuries. Thomas Van Berkel filed the complaint in the Madison County Circuit Court against Willie Ford and Ashley Ford. According to the complaint, Van Berkel claims his dog was on a lead in his yard in Granite City on March 19. He…
Societal factors such as poverty, housing insecurity and lack of education can significantly affect the outcome of a workers compensation claim, as such factors — known as the “social determinants of health” — are often barriers to recovery. As much as 80% of the outcome of an individual’s health is connected to factors connected to an unhealthy environment, and a…
A machine operator and laborer is suing Illinois Central Railroad Company over injuries he claims were related to his work. Alan Swanstrom filed the complaint in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Illinois Central Railroad Company and CN Transportation Limited, doing business as Canadian National Railway Company. According to the complaint, Swanstrom was employed by Illinois Central Railroad as…
Two new lawsuits were filed against Amazon and several engineering and construction companies after a deadly tornado leveled the Edwardsville distribution center in December 2021. The lawsuits were filed in St. Clair County Circuit Court as three others remain pending in Madison County Circuit Court. On Aug. 22, attorney James Lemonds of Brown & Crouppen PC in St. Louis filed…
A Roselle, Illinois contractor with a long history of federal workplace safety violations who currently owes more than $390,000 in penalties, added an additional $303,105 in proposed fines for once again exposing workers to potential deadly fall hazards at a North Barrington job site. Inspectors with the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration observed the safety violations…
