Overexertion, falls and struck-by hazards are among the costliest workplace injuries, according to Liberty Mutual Holding Co. Inc.’s 2020 workplace safety index released Tuesday. Overexertion and falls from the same level have consistently been the top two causes of injuries, said the Boston-based insurer. And while the overall number of serious workplace injuries has decreased over the past 20 years,…
A horseman who claims he was injured after another rider’s horse got loose during training exercises at Indiana Grand Racing & Casino didn’t win, place or show Friday at the Indiana Court of Appeals. The Shelby Superior Court had already granted summary judgment in favor of Indiana Grand defendants and partial summary judgment to Michael and Penny Lauer and Michael…
A dental patient claims she suffered permanent disfigurement after developing an abscess from a double tooth extraction. Paige Osborne filed the complaint on June 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois against the U.S. According to the complaint, Osborne claims that on July 28, 2017, she visited the Maple Street Clinic in Gillespie, which is…
Legislative changes allowing workers compensation coverage due to COVID-19 will result in an increase in loss estimates and a potential earnings hit for the insurance companies, according an analysis released Thursday by A.M. Best. A number of U.S. states have begun the process of enacting legislation or have issued executive orders on workers compensation coverage for essential employees, an expansion…
A train conductor’s negligence claims against his employer were unanimously dismissed Wednesday by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago. In LeDure v. Union Pacific Railroad Co., the circuit affirmed a district court’s holding that the conductor’s slip and fall was not reasonably foreseeable. Bradley LeDure was a conductor for Union Pacific Railroad Co. On Aug. 10, 2016,…
As businesses reopen across the U.S. after coronavirus shutdowns, many are requiring customers and workers to sign forms saying they won’t sue if they catch COVID-19. Businesses fear they could be the target of litigation even if they adhere to safety precautions from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and state health officials. But workers’ rights groups say the…
A meals on Wheels volunteer is suing a church after she claims to have slipped and fallen outside the premises. Mary Rottmann filed suit June 4 in Madison County Circuit Court against The First Baptist Church of HIghland. Rottmann states she was at the church on March 12, 2019, and was leaving when she tripped and fell outside the entrance…
A railway worker alleges he was injured when a truck turned over due to his employer’s negligence. Anthony Koenig filed suit June 2 in Madison County Circuit Court against Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis. His suit was filed under the Federal Employers’ Liability Act. Koenig, a track man for the company, claims he was injured while dumping rock at…
A man rendered a quadriplegic after a serious car wreck was unable to convince the Indiana Court of Appeals on Wednesday that his amended complaint was wrongly dismissed. The decision leaves in limbo collection of a $21 million jury award in favor of the injured man. Several lawsuits have stemmed from a single-vehicle accident involving former co-workers Gregory Smith and…
Legislation signed into law in Illinois on Friday will provide worker compensation benefits for front-line and essential workers who contract COVID-19 on the job under certain conditions. Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed H.B. 2455, which will provide death benefits for first responders who were presumably infected with COVID-19 on duty and also revises state code to expand unemployment benefits and enhance…
