Chicago Workers' Compensation Attorney Blog

Our Chicago workers' compensation lawyers will be closely watching the actions of politicians in Springfield this legislative session as workers' compensation reform hits the agenda. Just as the medical profession screams about the cost of medical malpractice lawsuits, so do businesses bemoan the cost of workers' compensation insurance.

And just as medical malpractice lawsuits have been shown to constitute only about 5 percent of the overall cost of health care (or less than one year's increase) in a system that kills 98,000 people a year through medical negligence, so too is the subject of workers' compensation premiums an overblown issue championed by big business at the cost of injured workers.

In both cases, it will be the Illinois trial lawyers who stand for the voiceless.

Both Democratic and Republican leaders at the Statehouse have announced a bipartisan panel to study the issue, as well as possible cuts to Medicaid. The panel is slated to begin the new year with its report on Jan. 3, in time for possible action by lame-duck lawmakers before the incoming legislatures take their seats as a result of the November election.

While business points to studies that show Illinois workers' compensation claims are high compared to some other states, the Insurance Journal reports cost increases have slowed to just 5 percent a year thanks to reforms passed in 2006.

The studies also show that Illinois workers are among the most likely to miss at least a week of work as a result of a Chicago work accident or on-the-job injury elsewhere in Illinois. This could be improved by better workplace safety initiatives instituted by employers.

And, while Illinois had a higher instance of attorney involvement, the study found cases in which an attorney was retained typically resulted in a more routine claims process. And the average payment to attorneys, $2,883, was one-third lower than the median amount in the 15 states studied.