Chicago Workers' Compensation Attorney Blog

An East Chicago man is dead after a work accident at ArcelorMittal's Indiana Harbor Plant, the Gary Post-Tribune reported.

The Lake County Coroner's Office reports the employee died of blunt force trauma. Our Chicago workers' compensation lawyers frequently deal with work injuries caused by an employee being struck by an object. Such injuries often lead to traumatic brain injury, which can be as mild as a concussion or as serious as a penetrating head injury. The medical consequences of such injuries can be unknown for a long period of time and require the skills and experience of a veteran attorney to protect the rights of an employee and his or her family. In fatal accidents, a thorough review must be conducted to determine whether a wrongful death lawsuit may be filed.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports 734 of the nation's 4,340 fatal work accidents in 2009 were caused by an employee coming into contact with an object or equipment. Of the 158 fatal Illinois work accidents last year, 32 were caused by employees being struck by an object.

In this case, the 33-year-old employee was pronounced dead just before 11 p.m. Wednesday at the East Chicago Mill. The four-year mill employee had been working at the plant where the accident occurred for about six months.

The preliminary investigation indicates the victim was changing out a hydraulic cylinder when an arm supporting a pivot table was disturbed. The table pivoted downward, causing the blunt force trauma.

The Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating. A Merrillville woman died in a work accident at the same plant last July.

Continue reading " East Chicago work accident claims life of Steel worker " »

Hundreds of Hilton Chicago service staff workers took to the streets this week to show their outrage over the hotel chain’s deal to buy back millions in massively discounted debts from the Federal Reserve as union contract negotiations have sat stalled since August 2009, the Chicago Tribune reports. The three-day strike is also a show of solidarity for fellow workers striking in Honolulu and San Francisco.

Our Chicago workers’ compensation attorneys have been monitoring a stalemate between the more than 8,000 hotel workers in the Chicago area and lodging ownership. Contracts expired more than 14 months ago after negotiations between union officials and Hilton management froze. At impasse is an ongoing dispute regarding a push to demand higher room quotas for housekeeping and a 7 percent annual increase in wages.

Union officials are concerned the higher room quotas will leave staff open to potential injuries. Hilton representatives argue they have made generous offers to increase wages, contributions to employee pensions and health funds and already provide competitive health benefits that require minimal employee payout.

In 2008, hotels and other lodging establishments employed about 1.9 million wage and salary earners. Of that number, 65 percent are service workers – housekeeping, cooks, wait and bar staff, bellhops, maintenance and janitorial staff – the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.

Generally, these are shift-work positions with limited advancement and lower educational requirements. Hotel service is considered demanding and hectic and heavily customer oriented. These jobs often require heavy lifting and can be quite labor intensive. Hotel service staff members are prone to slip-and-fall injuries, cuts, burns and sprains and strains.

According to the BLS, only 8 percent of hotel staff are union members and hotel employees earn average weekly wages of about $13 per hour over a 25.5 hour work week. Union members or those workers represented by unions earn $576-583 per week, while full-time employees and non-union staff earn from $474-458. In 2009, 223 hotel employees were killed due to a work-related accident.

Continue reading " Hilton Chicago hotel staff strike represents more than 8,000 disenfranchised Chicago workers " »

Our Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers are continuing to monitor the unemployment numbers, which, aside from subtle fluctuations over the last year seem to have flatlined nationwide. As of September, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports the unemployment rate has remained relatively unchanged at 9.6 percent, leaving 14.8 million American workers out of work with few places to look for it.

Overall, the number of long-term unemployed – those out of work for 27 weeks or longer – has dropped slightly since May. With that said, the number of “involuntary” part-time workers – those essentially forced to accept part-time work either due to cutbacks or unavailability of full-time work – has ticked upward. So has the number of discouraged workers climbed by 500,000 since September 2009.

Discouraged worker numbers are most concerning because that demographic of the unemployed or under-employed have essentially given up hope and have limited resources to deal with the financial and emotional stress that accompanies their current status.

For those fortunate to still have a job, the Miami Herald reports, the outlook is just as bleak. In many offices, cutbacks have diminished the number of workers, thus the remaining staff is taking on heavier workloads. Pair that with a fear of job loss and the round-the-clock accessibility that comes with a largely online work environment and additional cuts in workplace-tied benefits, and we are facing perhaps the most stressed-out workforce in history.

Employees and employers are both feeling the pressure, which creates a tense work environment where more mistakes are made, workers are getting sick, and some are simply giving up and quitting outright. The boss may be stressing while trying to keep his game-face on in front of the staff, but it’s the lower-level employees who are really feeling the pressure.

In such an environment, an employee can be hesitant to report a Chicago work injury. In some cases, he or she may even decide not to report a work accident out of fear of job loss or other retaliation. Such a decision can negatively impact their ability to collect damages. In some cases, the extent of an injury may not be known until weeks or months after the fact. Failure to document a work accident can result in an inability to collect damages in the future.

Laws are in place to protect injured workers from retaliation. If you have been injured on the job in Chicago or the surrounding area, please make a report and contact an Illinois workers' compensation lawyer to discuss your rights.

Continue reading " Stress becoming a productivity, health issue for Chicago workers " »

A 39-year-old driver is believed to have been offloading propane from his tanker truck when the propane explosion occurred, critically injuring him and damaging property within a wide radius around the accident site, the Journal-Courier reports. He was transported to Jersey Community Hospital and then flown to St. John’s Mercy Medical Center, where he later died. State fire marshal investigators have deemed the incident accidental, but the OSHA investigation remains open.

According to the Propane Education and Research Council, more than 60 million Americans use propane each day in homes and businesses across the U.S. It is both colorless and odorless in its natural state, but manufactures add chemical deliberately to give propane a strong unpleasant smell to help alert consumers and professionals of a potential safety hazard. PERC sponsors a series of 16 interactive educational safety lessons on their website that aim to educate consumers about both the benefits and potential hazards associated with propane gas use.

OurChicago workers’ compensation lawyers recommend anyone using propane-fueled equipment read their owner’s manuals, follow all maintenance schedules and safety instructions and know how to identify signs of malfunction. The ILPGA and Propane Taxi offer the following additional safety tips for consumers.

Safety tips for propane tanks:
~ If you smell propane, leave the area immediately and call 911. DO NOT go back inside for any reason.

~ Extinguish any open flame and all cigarettes, pipes, cigar, etc.

~ If you can, close supply valves to propane tanks or cylinders and power down -- shut off light switches, air conditioning or heating units.

~ Unless you are a professional propane technician, NEVER attempt to repair or refill a propane tank.

~ NEVER store a propane tank indoors or near appliances or devices that may reach high temperatures. Tanks should be stored outside, upright and elevated off the ground on a non-flammable base.

~ If you need to transport a propane tank, make sure it is upright and secured on the floor in the back seat of your vehicle. Check that the valve is closed or plugged and drive with your windows open to prevent intoxication if your tank is leaking.

Safety tips for propane grills or heaters:
~ Only use a propane grill or heater outdoors and in a well-ventilated, open area free of combustible materials.

~ Create a walk-around zone and no-lay safety perimeter for kids.

~ Burners last: always turn the grill off at the gas source first.

Continue reading " West-central Illinois worker killed from jobsite propane explosion, neighboring homes damaged " »