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Etzler Lawhead Legal Group, PC

Workers’ Compensation Medical Payments in Illinois Higher Compared with Other Study States

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

The average medical payment per claim with more than seven days of lost time in Illinois was more than 15 percent higher than the median of 18 states studied, according to a recent study by the Workers Compensation Research Institute (WCRI). For 2017 claims (at 12 months), the average medical payment per workers’ compensation claim was 15 percent higher than…

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Slips, falls lead to highest comp payouts in retail: AmTrust

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

Retail industry workers miss an average of 24 days of work due to injuries, according to a report released Thursday by AmTrust Financial Services Inc. The average loss due to injury paid to retail workers is $11,641 for men and $7,030 for women, according to New York-based AmTrust’s Retail Risk Report, which analyzed 20,000 workers compensation insurance claims from its…

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Worker injuries, illnesses unchanged in 2018: BLS

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Nonfatal occupational illnesses and injuries held steady in 2018, marking the first time since 2009 that they did not decline, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported Thursday. Private employers reported 900,380 occupational injuries or illnesses that caused a worker to miss a day of work in 2018, and 2.8 instances of occupational illnesses or injuries per 100 full-time equivalent workers…

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Worker sacked one week after suffering workplace injury, compensation claim, suit says

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

A worker claims his employment was terminated after he made a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. Lyle Tonnon, who currently lives in Green Bay, Wisc., filed suit Sept. 30 against Belleville company Royalty Tech following his termination on Feb. 27, a week after he suffered a workplace injury. Tonnon is seeking more than $50,000 in damages, plus other amounts including…

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Bicyclist suffered serious injuries after crashing into steel gate cable lying on road, lawsuit alleges

By Personal Injury No Comments

A bicyclist claims he suffered serious injuries after crashing into a steel gate cable lying across a road. Brian Ewing filed suit Oct. 2 against the owner of a parcel of land that allegedly allowed the cable and wood post to become detached from the rest of the gate. The plaintiff filed suit against Paul D. Nance and a family…

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Company Fined Nearly $1.6M After 4 Workers Killed in Illinois Plant Explosion

By Personal Injury No Comments

Federal workplace safety officials have levied $1,591,176 in penalties against a silicon chemical products manufacturer after four employees suffered fatal injuries in an explosion and fire at the company’s Waukegan, Illinois, plant on May 3, 2019 The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) also cited AB Specialty Silicones LLC for 12 willful federal safety violations and…

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Comp benefits paid to workers continue decline: Study

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

Workers compensation benefits paid to injured workers continue to decline, although covered employment and wages have continued to rise, according to study released Thursday by the National Academy of Social Insurance. In 2017, $62 billion in workers compensation benefits were paid, but medical benefits declined nearly 20% between 2013 and 2017 and cash benefits declined just under 17% in this…

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Worker alleges Amazon distribution center’s negligence led to fall

By Personal Injury No Comments

An alleged trip and fall at an Amazon fulfillment center in Edwardsville has prompted a lawsuit as the plaintiff alleges the online retail giant and the owners of the facility are liable for his injuries. Jimmy Horneman filed suit Sept. 26 in St. Clair County Circuit against Amazon, which rents the property at Lakeview Corporate Drive in Edwardsville, and the…

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Cardinal Pump employee alleges unlawful firing after workers’ comp claim

By Workers' Compensation No Comments

An employee of a St. Clair County company alleges he was fired unlawfully after being injured at work and applying for benefits. Arlando V. Lusk filed suit Sept. 26 against Cardinal Pump Company in St. Clair County Circuit Court, alleging violations of the Workers’ Compensation Act along and “willful and wanton” conduct. Cardinal Pump, which distributes pumps, did not immediately…

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Madison schools must face injured student’s suit, COA rules

By Personal Injury No Comments

Madison Consolidated Schools on Wednesday lost an appeal of a summary judgment denial in a lawsuit brought by a former student who was injured in a school bus crash. Trisha Thurston was a 16-year-old student passenger who was severely injured when a Madison school bus hit a guardrail on Interstate 64 in Floyd County in September 2014. The school’s insurer,…

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