Democrats from the Illinois House of Representatives returned to Springfield with an approved measure aiming to compromise with Republicans calling for workers’ compensation reform, according to the Insurance Journal on June 8. Republicans said the Democrats’ proposal does not go far enough. House Bill 1287 includes a proposal to change the state’s no-fault worker benefit, so… Read More

Two workers’ compensation reform measures attempting to make the program stricter have failed to pass in Illinois’ Democratic majority legislature, according to a Business Insurance article on May 28. The proposed measures would necessitate more proof that those seeking workers’ compensation were injured in work-related accidents, as well as reduce the fee schedule for these payments.… Read More

With less than a month left in the spring session, speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois Michael Madigan presided over the entire House to tackle issues regarding the state’s workers’ compensation system, the Chicago Tribune reported on May 5. Republican Governor Rauner believes that the high… Read More

Congratulations to Spiros Law Partner, Sandra K. Loeb, on her recent successful appeal. Sandra was assisted in the appeal by Associate Matthew J. Duco. The opinion can be read here. The claimant filed a workers’ compensation claim for injuries sustained following a slip and fall in her employer’s parking lot. Prior to arbitration, the claimant… Read More

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner wants to reduce the costs that employers pay towards workers’ compensation and in exchange, will slowly raise the minimum wage, the Insurance Journal reported on April 13. According to the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, Illinois has the 7th highest rate of workers’ compensation insurance in the country. Rauner wants… Read More

Illinois Governor Bruce Rauner wants to reduce the costs that employers pay towards workers’ compensation and in exchange, will slowly raise the minimum wage, the Insurance Journal reported on April 13. According to the Oregon Department of Consumer and Business Services, Illinois has the 7th highest rate of workers’ compensation insurance in the country. Rauner wants… Read More

Experts forecast that future workers’ compensation reforms may focus on banning physicians from dispensing prescription drugs to prevent spending for workers’ compensation claims from rising again, the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based Workers Compensation Research Institute proclaimed in a Business Insurance article on March 29. According to the managing director of casualty claims at Aon Global Risk Consulting in Los… Read More

In Illinois, when a public officer such as a law enforcement agent, a correctional officer, or a firefighter sustains major injury or was killed in the line of duty, his family – wife and children – can receive, on top of workers’ compensation benefits, compensation allotted to them under the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act,… Read More

The Illinois Appellate Court ruled that E. Belinda Bauer, widow of Omron Electronic Components LLC president and COO Craig Bauer, was awarded workers’ compensation benefits after her husband died due to an illness contracted on work travels, Business Insurance reported on November 18. According to court documents, Mr. Bauer went to China and Japan in… Read More

The Workers’ Compensation Research Institute recently released a new study that showed the reforms made in 2011 to lessen the cost of healthcare services for injured workers in Illinois are still impacting the dwindling cost of medical care, the Insurance Journal reported on November 3. According to the report titled, “CompScope Medical Benchmarks for Illinois, 15th… Read More