News and Press

How the Illinois Injured Workers’ Benefit Fund works

December 19, 2014

Illinois workers who are injured on the job have the right to workers’ compensation benefits for hours of work lost and for medical expenses. If the employer fails to pay the compensation owed, then the benefits…

Illinois Governor Vetoes Truck Safety Bill

December 18, 2014

A bill to increase the speed limit for trucks on some non-urban Illinois highways, which was passed unanimously in both chambers of the Illinois state legislature, has been vetoed by Governor Pat Quinn. The trucking industry…

Amputee Files Lawsuit Against Hospital for Cremating Amputated Leg

December 11, 2014

A patient has filed a lawsuit against Skokie Hospital for incinerating his amputated leg. The patient, an Orthodox Jew whose religious traditions indicate that the dead should be buried whole, claims that he informed a rabbi…

Age Restriction in Park Not a Liability Shield

November 17, 2014

The Chicago Park District must do more to publicize playground age restrictions if it wants them to be the basis of legal immunity, a state appeals panel has ruled. The First District Appellate Court, in an…

Personal injury claim not barred by workers’ compensation exclusivity, Illinois Appellate Court rules

November 14, 2014

An Illinois Appellate Court recently ruled that a worker who allegedly sustained exposure to asbestos while working for his employer between 1966 and 1970 was not barred from pursuing a personal injury claim by the exclusive…

Many misdiagnosis errors go unreported

November 10, 2014

Medical errors involving surgery or drug mistakes receive a lot of attention, perhaps in part because it is often obvious that an error has been made. But research indicates that misdiagnosis may be a far more…

Over 14 million dollars awarded in birth injury lawsuit

October 28, 2014

An Ohio jury has awarded $14.5 million to a boy who suffered a birth injury. The jury returned the verdict against a hospital and doctor in favor of the 11-year-old boy and his mother, Stephanie Stewart.…

New Illinois law allows workers to sue third-party service organizations

October 24, 2014

On June 5, 2014, Senate Bill 3287 passed both houses of the Illinois legislature and was signed into law by Governor Quinn, becoming Public Act 98-33. The law eliminates immunity for third-party maintenance or service corporations…

Labor trauma can cause birth injuries

October 17, 2014

A number of birth injuries can result from trauma experienced during the labor and delivery process. Said trauma can result from mistakes on the part of medical professionals attending the birth. Head trauma suffered during delivery…

IWCC rules a close call insufficient for a mental disability claim

August 12, 2014

The Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission recently ruled against a train operator who claimed a mental disability based on the trauma of believing that the train he was operating had struck and killed a pedestrian. The worker…