Chicago Workers' Compensation Attorney Blog

As the number of workplace fatalities and injuries continue to tick downward in a decade-long trend nationwide, the Bureau of Labor and Statistics reports that the number of American workers who lost time at work due to an injury hovers around 1.1 million cases out of 3.7 million reportable incidents.

Additionally, the BLS found that 4,340 Americans lost their lives while simply doing their job in 2009.

A total of 193 workers were killed in Illinois work accidents, with most fatalities occurring in management or professional occupations, construction, production and transportation.

For another 95,500 Illinois workers, on-the-job injuries resulted in reduced work hours, job transfers or restrictions, a 2007 survey produced by the Illinois Department of Public Heath reports.

So while incidents of death or injury on the job continue to drop, influenced in part by a flagging economy and surging rates of joblessness, thousands of Illinois workers sustained a workplace injury severe enough to require time off, while nearly another 200 workers lost their lives.

If you have been injured or someone you know has been injured or killed in a Chicago-area work-related accident, speaking with an experienced Chicago workers’ compensation attorney can help you better navigate workers compensation law.

Rates of workplace homicides have fallen by 50 percent since 1994 with 521 deaths recorded nationally in 2009. About 80 percent of work-related homicides were shooting incidents. Work-related suicides are also seeing a drop of nearly 10 percent since 2008, and even the sales of workers’ compensation insurance policies are seeing a decline for the third consecutive year, Bloomberg.com reported.

If you would like to discuss your workers' compensation rights fully, or if you feel that you have been unfairly denied benefits that you legitimately qualify for, we would appreciate the opportunity to evaluate your situation. Our experienced workers' compensation attorneys may be able to assist you through the various stages on the appeals process and negotiate with insurance companies on your behalf.

Continue reading " Nearly 100,000 employees injured in Illinois work accidents despite economic downturn " »

According to the 2009 Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission annual report, roughly 200,000 work-related accidents involving Illinois workers are reported each year. Thankfully, most workers injured on the job do not lose time from work, nor do they experience lasting health effects from their accident.

For little more than a quarter of Illinois workers, however, or about 55,500 statewide and nearly 22,000 in the Chicago region alone, injuries were severe enough for them to file a workers’ compensation claim. If you or someone you know has been injured or killed in a Chicago work-related accident, contacting our Chicago workers’ compensation attorneys is a good first step to understanding your rights.

Other times, a personal injury or wrongful death lawsuit should be filed, either in conjunction with a work accident claim or as a stand-alone case.

The Chicago Sun-Times reported last week that 71 former Motorola employees and their families have filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court against the company, claiming that Motorola knew that chemicals used in sterile “clean rooms” were toxic and could cause birth defects in children born to the exposed.

The suit alleges that at least 30 children born to workers employed by the company between 1965-2007 demonstrate serious birth defects ranging from brain malformations to spina bifida to cerebral palsy and include other skeletal, physical and developmental defects.

Motorola declined to comment, citing pending litigation.

An investigation by CBS-5 revealed the chemical in question is called Ethylene Glycol Ether, a commonly used substance by a host of chip manufacturing companies through the 1990s.

The lawsuit further alleges that Motorola should have known about the potentially harmful reproductive effects upon the exposed after a 1986 John Hopkins University study. That study the effect of workplace exposure to certain chemicals and solvents including Glycol Ether.

Continue reading " Chicago region leads State by wide margin in workers’ compensation claims " »

An Illinois work accident that killed two teenagers working in a grain bin could have been prevented, the Associated Press reported.

"This was very preventable," said OSHA spokesman Scott Allen in the Department of Labor's Chicago office. "There are OSHA regulations that should have been followed and it appears they were not."

A third teenager was hospitalized; the preliminary investigation found that one of the workers was underage and the other employees lacked the proper safety equipment. The health and safety of teenage employees is governed by state and federal labor laws. A Chicago workers' compensation lawyer should be contacted whenever a young worker is injured on the job.

The accident happened in a grain bin owned by Haasbach LLC of Mount Carroll in northwestern Illinois. Holes were cut into the sides of the bin to drain thousands of pounds of corn so that the trapped workers could be freed. The three workers were inside the bin at the time of the accident. I fourth worker outside the bin was not injured.

Two employees, ages 19 and 14, were pulled from the bin and pronounced dead. A 20-year-old employee was hospitalized in fair condition. The preliminary investigation found that none of the employees were wearing safety harnesses or had life lines. The 14-year-old worker should never even have been allowed inside the grain bin.

"There was no reason for anyone under the age of 18 to be doing work inside the bin," Allen said.

OSHA reports 16 deaths inside grain bins in the last decade.

Continue reading " Safety and labor violations reported in fatal Illinois work accident " »

The Occupation Safety and Health Administration has published new rules for cranes and derricks, which replace the antiquated rules the industry has been operating under since 1971.

Chicago construction accidents often involve falling objects or employees who are injured after being struck by heavy equipment or building materials. The new rules are aimed at preventing some of the leading causes of construction fatalities, including electrocution, crushed/struck-by hazards, and collapsing and overturning cranes.

"The significant number of fatalities associated with the use of cranes in construction led the Labor Department to undertake this rulemaking," said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. "After years of extensive research, consultation and negotiation with industry experts, this long overdue rule will address the leading causes of fatalities related to cranes and derricks, including electrocution, boom collapse and overturning."

The new rules will apply to about 267,000 construction and crane companies nationwide and will affect nearly 5 million construction workers.

"The rule addresses critically important provisions for crane operator certification, and crane inspection, set-up and disassembly," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "Compliance with the rule will prevent needless worker injuries and death, and provide protection for the public and property owners."

The complete federal rulebook for Cranes and Derricks is available here.

Continue reading " New rules for cranes and derricks could reduce the risk of Chicago construction accidents " »