Indiana legislators are poised to finalize a fast-tracked proposal that will give a broad shield protecting businesses and others from lawsuits by people blaming them for contracting COVID-19. The proposal is a top priority of Republican legislative leaders and GOP Gov. Eric Holcomb even though supporters don’t point to any such lawsuits in the state. Supporters maintain that the liability…
A woman is suing a Belleville Wendy’s, alleging she was injured when she tripped and fell while walking in the parking lot. Mamie Saffore filed a complaint on June 7 in St. Clair County Circuit Court against BB St. Louis LLC, Wendy’s Properties LLC and Wendy’s International LLC alleging negligence. The suit states that Saffore was walking through the parking…
A woman alleges she suffered multiple injuries after driving over an unlocked and unsecured manhole cover in the Village of Cahokia. Laveta Horace filed a complaint Jan. 22 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Village of Cahokia, alleging negligence. According to her suit, Horace was driving her vehicle northbound on Ellen Street near the intersections of St. Stephens…
The Illinois General Assembly has passed a bill that includes prejudgment interest in the recovery of damages in personal injury or wrongful death lawsuits. HB 3360 specifies “that in all actions brought to recover damages for personal injuries or wrongful death resulting from or occasioned by the wrongful conduct of any other person or entity, the plaintiff shall recover prejudgment…
Workers compensation claims for COVID-19 last year were far less than the doomsday predictions made early in the pandemic, but experts are concerned that lingering symptoms and rebuttable presumptions in some states may negatively impact the industry going forward. In November and December combined, the U.S. reported 11 million new COVID-19 cases, with insurers and ratings agencies seeing corresponding jumps…
An ambulance driver is accused of failing to use lights and sirens while attempting to pass vehicles on an Illinois state highway, which allegedly resulted in a collision. Carrie Grandcolas and Jeffrey Grandcolas filed a complaint (part 2) Jan. 11 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Abbott EMS, Abbott EMS of Illinois, Mission Care of Illinois, Global Medical…
A motorist claims she suffered a back injury in rear-end collision that resulted in burns from a tens unit used during her physical therapy treatments. Tecia McKinney filed a complaint Jan. 14 in the St. Clair County Circuit Court against Scott Hedger, Upchurch Oil and Ready Mix Concrete Co., alleging negligence. According to the complaint, McKinney was driving her vehicle…
The rate of serious injuries and fatalities continues to hold steady despite declines in overall recordable incidents, though companies with strong safety cultures are less likely to report these serious incidents, according to a report released Monday by information management company ISN Software Corp. ISN analyzed more than 55,000 recordable incidents at U.S. companies between 2017 and 2019, finding that…
As employers wait to see whether the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will create a temporary workplace safety standard for COVID-19, their legal experts hope the federal government avoids what they contend are costly and inflexible measures put in place by individual state OSHAs. President Joe Biden on Jan. 21 signed an executive order calling on OSHA by Feb. 4…
An Alton rehab facility and others are accused of wrongfully putting a heart patient through physical therapy, which allegedly caused him to suffer cardiac arrest. Shelby Gavellas, special administrator of the Estate of James Gavellas filed a complaint Jan. 8 in the Madison County Circuit Court against OSF Healthcare St. Anthony’s Health Center, Behfar Dianati, M.D., CEP Amerida-Illinois Hospitalists LLP,…
