U.S. Seventh Circuit appellate judges who balked at a $29.6 million judgment against the government in a kidney damage case last year cast off their doubts and approved that amount on Dec. 17. They affirmed Chief District Judge Nancy Rosenstengel of East St. Louis, who found that the conduct of plaintiff Kevin Clanton did not contribute to his disease. They…
A construction worker injured in a building collapse was, in fact, an independent contractor, the Court of Appeals of Indiana has concluded, rejecting an earlier finding that the worker was actually an employee of the company he sued. In December 2018, Richard Palmer was injured while doing carpentry work on top of a pole barn that partially collapsed. The building…
Employers may be warming up to the idea that fighting some workers’ compensation claims and medical treatments can be counterproductive, and new emphasis should be placed on keeping injured workers happy – and out of the courtroom. “The workers’ comp system should be self-executing and so many times, it’s not,” said Michele Adams, vice president of risk management for Walmart….
A driver is suing another motorist for allegedly causing a Troy crash that resulted in permanent injuries. Lesley Rowland filed a lawsuit on Nov. 29 in the Madison County Circuit Court against Nicholas Muniz and William Rehling, alleging negligent entrustment. According to the complaint, Rowland was driving a 2017 Toyota Sedan heading east on Route 40 in Troy on Dec….
Several parents claim their premature infants developed necrotizing enterocolitis after being fed Similac or Enfamil infant formula. Steven Binkowitz, as representative of the estate of Henya Binkowitz; Nicholette and Jonas Findley; Sheena Hayman, as representative of the estate of Jace Fisher; Jasmine Perryman, as representative of the estate of Meladee Pettaway; Demara Smitherman, as representative of the estate of Raequawn…
A man claims he was fired in retaliation for filing a worker’s compensation claim. Gage Moore filed a federal lawsuit on Dec. 6 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against Advanced Technology Services, Inc., alleging retaliatory discharge, disability discrimination, retaliation, violation of the Illinois Human Rights Act – disability discrimination, disability retaliation, violation of the…
An investigation into an Amazon.com Inc building collapse in Illinois on Friday night has been opened by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, an official at the U.S. Department of Labor said on Monday. OSHA has six months to complete its investigation, issue citations and propose monetary penalties if violations of workplace safety and or health regulations are found,…
In the first year of the pandemic, COVID-19 claims in workers compensation made up roughly 1/10th of claims and on average were less costly than non-COVID claims in almost every state, according to new analysis published Wednesday by the Workers Compensation Insurance Rating Bureau of California. The COVID-19’s Impact on Workers Compensation report sourced data from 45 jurisdictions representing $630…
A customer claims she suffered injuries when she slipped and fell on ice at the Cahokia AutoZone Auto Parts store. Robyn Bergman filed a complaint on Nov. 12 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against AutoZone, Inc doing business as AutoZone Auto Parts – Cahokia, alleging negligence. According to the complaint, Bergman claims she was walking in the parking…
A motorist is being sued for allegedly causing a crash after turning in front of oncoming traffic in Bethalto. Jessica and Andrew Sarver filed a complaint on Nov. 22 in the Madison County Circuit Court against Jacob Mennemeier. According to the complaint, on Nov. 27, 2019, Jessica Sarver were driving southbound on South Moreland Road when Mennemeier, who was driving…
