Illinois Injury Attorney Blog

Workers in Illinois who suffer an On the Job Injury might soon confront a new Workers' Compensation system. Wednesday, an Illinois House committee voted to get rid of the state's current Work Comp format. Instead, employees who suffer a work related injury would go to a circuit court. That's where they would deal with their Workers' Compensation claims.

Wednesday's vote was surprising to some. Illinois lawmakers had been working to reform the state's Work Comp system so completely abandoning it was a shock to many. However, media reports indicate one lawmaker who sponsored the legislation says talks between all involved in the Worker's Compensation process are still taking place. Illinois State Representative John Bradley, D-Marion said however, in some cases, it's easier to start fresh than trying to rehab a system.

Currently, the Illinois Workers' Compensation Commission is involved in work comp claims. Their website explains how work comp in Illinois is a no-fault system of benefits that employers pay to employees who suffer an on the job injury. The Commission controls the Illinois court system in these instances. Here's how it works: an arbitrator first hears a Workers' Compensation case. A panel of three commissioners may then look over that arbitrator's ruling.

Continue reading " WORKERS' COMPENSATION SYSTEM IN ILLINOIS NEAR CHANGE AFTER LAWMAKERS VOTE " »

A Motorcycle Accident in St. Clair County killed a Belleville, Illinois man. His motorcycle was involved in a Truck Crash Tuesday on St. Clair Avenue. 42-year old Alvin Williams was the man on the motorcycle.

According to Illinois State Police, a UPS truck was making a left turn as Williams was trying to get around the truck by riding on the road's left shoulder. While his motorcycle was apparently going very quickly, Williams hit the truck on its driver's side. Even though he was wearing a helmet, he died from his injuries.

While many people may consider motorcycles an enjoyable form of transportation, they are also a very dangerous form of transportation. Data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration shows the increased likelihood of being involved in a deadly motorcycle accident versus being in one in a passenger car. While passenger cars had an involvement rate in deadly crashes per 100,000 registered vehicles of 14.73 in 2008, the rate for motorcycles was 69.77. That's more than four times higher for motorcycles.

Continue reading " ILLINOIS MOTORCYCLIST DIES IN CRASH WITH TRUCK IN ST. CLAIR COUNTY " »

People in Illinois should soon be able to find out if their doctors were ever guilty of Medical Malpractice. That's part of a new bill, the Patients' Right to Know Act, that the governor is expected to sign. The Illinois General Assembly passed the bill Tuesday.

As reported by the Chicago Tribune in the article, "Patients' Right to Know Act Passes Assembly," the bill also would give people information about whether an Illinois doctor was ever fired or found guilty of a crime or made a Medical Malpractice payment in the last 5 years. The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation would compile the doctors' histories and make them public by putting them on its website.

Illinois lawmakers have been focusing on Medical Malpractice reform and patients' rights in recent years. Just last year, the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that caps on Medical Malpractice or Medical Negligence awards were not constitutional. Those caps had been in place due to a 2005 law which placed awards at $500,000 for non-economic damages against doctors and a million dollars against hospitals.

Continue reading " ILLINOIS LEGISLATION WOULD GIVE PATIENTS INFO ON DOCTOR MEDICAL MALPRACTICE HISTORY " »

A Medical Malpractice presentation at the annual American Roentgen Ray Society meeting in Chicago, Illinois showed the absolute number of Medical Malpractice and Medical Negligence lawsuits filed seems to be getting smaller. However, these lawsuits still do exist in high numbers. Chicago's Doctor Leonard Berlin, vice chair of radiology at Northshore University Hospital, detailed causes of medical malpractice among radiologists. Berlin said failure to diagnose breast and lung cancer are most often the causes of medical malpractice cases in his field.

According to www.cmio.net in the article, "AARS: Malpractice Suits Decline, Challenges Persist," Berlin found that about 60 years ago, the cause of medical malpractice lawsuits began to change from apparent acts of commission to apparent acts of failing to diagnose. He says as that change was happening, the number of medical malpractice claims per malpractice insurance policy began to decline. The article states radiologists are often considered key players in medical malpractice cases because they are often at the center of a diagnosis or missed diagnosis.

Of course, reducing medical errors is a key objective for doctors. Berlin suggested radiologists review the pertinent clinical data. He says they should examine the image again with a colleague or the attending doctor.

Continue reading " FEWER MEDICAL MALPRACTICE LAWSUITS FILED ACCORDING TO REPORT AT ANNUAL MEDICAL MEETING IN CHICAGO, ILLINOIS " »

An Illinois Nursing Home Abuse case is moving from Cook County to Madison County. The lawsuit claims Virgil Calvert Nursing & Rehabilitation Center, Inc. abused Larry Boyd which led to his death. Boyd's wife, Judith, is suing the nursing home along with its management company and more than 20 other defendants for nursing home abuse and neglect as well as for Wrongful Death.

As detailed by The Madison St. Clair Record in the article, "Suit Against Virgil Calvert Claims Nursing Home Neglected Resident," Boyd's wife alleges her husband got skin breakdown because he was neglected while at Virgil Calvert in 2008. She says that problem led to a variety of medical issues such as ulcers and respiratory problems. She says those conditions then caused her husband to die.

Boyd claims the nursing home violated the Nursing Home Care Act. The act defines abuse and details various types of violations. The Illinois Nursing Home Care Act was enacted in 1979. More reforms were recently enacted last year with the Illinois Nursing Home Safety Act.

Continue reading " ILLINOIS NURSING HOME ABUSE CASE CHANGES VENUES TO MADISON COUNTY " »