Caring With Our Clients, Fierce With The Insurance Companies
A new bill proposed to the Illinois House Judiciary Committee in 2013 aims to reform the state’s Workers’ Compensation Act and Workers’ Occupational Diseases Act. This new legislation, known as HB 2229, would draw a distinction between emergency medical technicians and firefighters, giving them different levels of workers’ comp protection. Proponents of the bill argue that it will save the…
According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, 29 percent of car accidents in the state are caused by speeding. Illinois law currently permits speed cameras in communities with populations over one million. Chicago is the only municipality in Illinois with more than a million residents, which means that drivers outside Chicago’s city limits are not monitored by cameras. New legislation…
Illinois law requires all employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance so they can provide benefits to workers who are injured on the job. Currently, employers must choose between self-insuring and taking out a policy through a private insurance company. However, a bill introduced in 2013, the Workers’ Compensation Insurance Fund Act, would create a state fund to provide workers’ compensation…
Police officers in Chicago face a greater risk of injury than the general public, and research shows police officers are also more likely to experience health problems such as chronic diseases. However, these risks may not be distributed evenly. New research suggests officers who work the night shift are significantly more likely to sustain injuries. A study of more than…
Most employees in Chicago, Illinois, know they have the right to seek compensation if they are injured at work. However, beyond that basic knowledge, many employees know little about the state’s workers’ compensation laws. Most employees, especially those currently facing injuries, can benefit from learning about their rights under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Act. Coverage and benefits Many employees wonder…
The airline industry serves millions of people around the world every year, but little is publicly known about injuries sustained by these workers in work-related accidents, and any changes airlines may be making to increase safety for the workers who provide these services. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration provides clear instructions and information on their website on the efforts…
Motorists in Illinois rely upon other drivers every day to make safety decisions that have the potential to significantly alter their lives. Motorists fail to live up to the expectation of mutual safety when they drive under the infulence. Despite the clear danger presented by drunk drivers, Illinois lawmakers are seeking to relax the punishments they face when they become…
Operating a motor vehicle always carries some risk for Chicago residents. Distracted drivers are found on the roads every day across the nation, and their preoccupation with things unrelated to driving often result in car accidents. With laws in place that prohibit the use of all hand-held devices while operating a vehicle, drivers may be unaware of exactly how distracted…
While working on a construction site at an Illinois mall last December, two workers were seriously injured when a wall collapsed. One worker died in the hospital from injuries sustained during the accident. Although the manager of the mall maintained that the worker’s death was just a “tragic accident”, the surviving worker and the family of the deceased worker may…
The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration states that truck drivers who choose to text and drive are 23.2 times more likely to cause a safety-critical event, like a crash, near-crash or lane deviation than their counterparts that do not text and drive. In 2011, a restriction was placed on all handheld cellphone use for truck drivers by the FMCSA. Despite…