Category: Workers’ Compensation

The Illinois Supreme court recently added its seal of approval to a Compensation Commission’s rejection of an employee’s worker's compensation asbestos lawsuit due to a filing delay. The employee claimed Mesothelioma, a form of cancer known to be a result of exposure to asbestos. He came into contact with the dangerous fibers while on the job from 1966 to 1970. He was diagnosed with the disease 41 years later. The timing prevented him from complying with Illinois' requirement that an employee must report an asbestos claim no later than 25 years after exposure. Illinois workers compensation attorneys often encounter statute of limitations issues such as this. 

Restaurants, whether full service or fast food, are jammed with heat-producing equipment and a range of potentially dangerous situations. Ovens, fryers, food warmers, stoves and coffee makers cause a high percentage of reported restaurant employee injuries. Cleavers, knives and other sharp objects are tools of the trade and can result in severe lacerations. Floors made slippery by spilled liquids, grease and water are frequent occurrences in busy restaurant kitchens or dining rooms. Exposure to cleaning chemicals and hot oils can result in severe eye and skin injuries.

It can happen anytime whether it's the heat of a summer's day or the freezing chill of snowy night. Emergencies have no timing, however, when the alarm bell goes off in the firehouse, the brave men and women of Chicago's storied firehouses clamber into their trucks to protect innocent lives and property from destruction. Even as they work to save lives and livelihoods, they often put their own in jeopardy and the health risks firefighters face are plentiful. Whether it's a fire on the 50th floor of the John Hancock Center, or a warehouse fire in Arlington Heights, Illinois firefighters have a long tradition of risking their safety to protect our communities. That courage comes at a high price to their own safety that makes firefighting one of the most dangerous jobs in the country.

Several states have begun the process of eliminating state administered workers' compensation programs. Oklahoma and Texas have already passed legislation allowing employers to discontinue contributions to state administered plans and instead administer their own in-house alternatives. These programs have come at a time when state legislators are seeking to streamline state budgets, but they are coming at a hefty cost to the workers who depend on these programs for their health and safety.

The Chicago Riverwalk project is ambitious. Still under development more than 12 years after its start, the meandering cityscape delights residents but sometimes challenges contractors. A September 21 construction accident highlights risks and reminds us that workplace safety must always be paramount. A construction barge used to deliver building materials sat in the Chicago River. Something went badly wrong. A construction worker had his legs cut by sheet metal. Construction equipment became rescue equipment as the man, strapped into a basket stretcher, was hoisted from barge through the air to land before being relayed to an ambulance.