Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatories now account for more than a third of all drugs dispensed to injured workers, and just two NSAIDs account for two-thirds of prescription payments in that drug category, according to a report released Wednesday by the California Workers Compensation Institute. Oakland, California-based CWCI analyzed changes in the distribution of workers comp prescriptions and prescription payments in the state…
A man claims he was dispensed the wrong prescription at a Walgreens in East St. Louis, causing him to suffer injuries. Thomas Conner Jr., filed a complaint in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Walgreen Co., and Robert Harper. Conner alleges in his complaint that on Oct. 22, 2019, he brought a prescription he received from his physician for…
A woman claims she suffered injuries when loose shelving fell on her at a Target store in Belleville. Roxanne Royce filed a complaint Feb. 17 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Target Corporation, alleging negligence. Royce was shopping at a Target on Belleville Crossing Street in Belleville on Nov. 23, 2019, according to her complaint. She alleges that…
The renewal process for 2021 included several changes spurred by the pandemic, as companies changed workers’ job duties and insurers wanted to know more about what was being done to manage risks associated with COVID-19. Much depended on the type of business involved, said JoEllen Thelen, St. Louis-based middle market practice leader for the central region for Aon PLC. “With…
Workers’ compensation insurers aren’t getting the large aggregate volumes of COVID-related claims projected during the early months of the pandemic, but different data sources give varying readouts on developments for individual U.S. states and classes of workers. In fact, while claim frequencies are down for workers’ compensation overall with business shutdowns bringing lower numbers of non-COVID claims, and while the…
A woman claims water leakage and mold build up in her rental apartment caused injuries to her and her children. Ladonna Lawrence, individually and as mother of and next of friend of Darron Hill, Jr., and Micah Douglas, Jr., minors, filed a complaint Feb. 8 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Jenny and Skeet Huskey, Kunkel Wittenauer Group…
A bill filed in the Illinois General Assembly would transfer the responsibilities for investigating workers’ compensation fraud to the state insurance department. Under HB 2947, the pending business of the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission’s Insurance Compliance Division would be transferred to the Illinois Department of Insurance. he change would transfer “all powers, duties, rights, responsibilities, personnel, books, records, papers, documents,…
Lawmakers in Illinois will consider making post-traumatic stress disorder compensable for certain first responders under a bill presented on Friday. H.B. 3081 states that “post-traumatic stress disorder is to be rebuttably presumed to arise out of and to be causally connected to the hazards of employment” for firefighters, emergency medical technicians, and paramedics. Lawmakers also read H.B. 3697, which states…
Brain-injury workers compensation claims cost more than double other types of lost-time claims, according to a report released Friday by the National Council for Compensation Insurance. The report said that among active claims between 2013 and 2018, 15% of permanent-injury total claims included a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI is defined as physical trauma to the head that alters…
A woman claims Memorial Hospital Belleville and one of its surgeons failed to properly treat and diagnose her condition. Lauren Theuerkauf filed a complaint Feb. 4 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Eric Snook, DPM, Associated Foot Surgeons of Belleville LTD and Protestant Memorial Medical Center Inc., individually and doing business as Memorial Hospital Belleville, alleging negligence. According…
